Twins and Cosplayers
by Martel Irasia
Summary: What happens when a girl named Lara goes to a party dressed as her favorite Symphonia character? A whole new journey starts, different from anything before it. Find out what happens in this exciting adventure. Now with a shorter Title!
1. Do Parties Usually Have Portals?

**Hello everyone and welcome to my new **_**Tales of Symphonia**_** fan fiction. This story was inspired by **_**Tales of Cosplayers**_**, written by Nightfoot, so only the very basic idea of getting placed in the **_**Symphonia**_** world has been used. I adore **_**Tales of Cosplayers**_**, and after a while, I started seeing different plot points and ideas of my own that I wanted to try in a slightly similar manner. So here it is my very own. If anyone notices certain events and situations that seem too similar to **_**Tales of Cosplayers**_**, please let me know in as polite a way as possible and I will try to make it different. I have no intention of copying any ideas from anyone, so I hope I don't have that problem to begin with. Anyway, on to the story.**

**Also, please note that I do not own _Tales of Symphonia_ or the characters. I only own the OC's that will appear in this story. Thank you. ^ ^**

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**Chapter 1 – Do Parties Usually Have Portals?**

Lara stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror, slightly in awe at her cropped hair cut, something she had done herself. Strands of chocolate brown hair littered the floor all around her feet as she took a deep breath and reached for the extra strength hair gel she had recently bought. Her friend Evangeline had been invited to a Cosplay Party for any and all of the _Tales_ games and Eva was allowed to bring friends.

She let loose her breath and began putting gel in her hair, trying to get it just right. She looked at the picture taped to the mirror, which was a reverse image of the way it was supposed to be so that she could gel her hair in the right direction. With her cropped hair, it wasn't too hard to get it to stick straight up, but it would have been difficult to get it in the right direction without the reference.

When she finally felt satisfied, she smiled and closed her eyes, remembering the previous morning. Lara had been preparing for almost two years to put a costume together so that she could one day attend an Anime Con, but her family just didn't have the money to send her to one, so her dreams had mostly been for nothing. But with Eva's invitation to the Cosplay Party, she had found a purpose for her costume.

Yesterday morning she had run down into the shop on the first floor looking for her dad. A woman in a plain blue dress was standing behind the counter, reading a magazine. She had looked up and smiled at Lara, before returning her gaze to the article in front of her face. Lara's father was a Jeweler and he was very good at appraising rare gems as well. She had gone looking for him so she could have a gem for her Exsphere, which was the only part of her costume that was missing.

"Yes, Lara, what are you looking for?" Her father had asked with a warm smile on his face. He was in his mid-forties already, graying hair as he wasn't one to worry about hair color, and pale grey eyes. He'd had on his usual work clothes and she had smiled at that, the normality of it.

"Dad, I need a gem for my Exsphere. Can I borrow one from the shop?" She'd asked, returning the warmth that her father always used to speak to her. "It'll only be for a day or two." She'd added so that it would be easier for him to agree to it.

He had laughed loudly and reached for a drawer in a nearby cabinet. "Take your pick, Lara. Whichever one suits you best." His smile was infectious as always and Lara had found little interest in most of the gems until she spotted a little wooden box in the display with a round turquoise gem. It was unusual though, because its' color was slightly bluer than it should have been. Normally turquoise was a light blue gem that slightly mirrored the color of the sky, but this gem was a darker shade of blue, though she was certain it was still turquoise.

Lara had reached for the blue gem and picked it up. When she looked down at her hand, she was already wearing the Key Crest for her costume and she snapped the gem into place. It had been exactly the right size, as if it had been cut specifically to fit the Crest. "This one's perfect, thanks Dad!" She'd said and had turned around, hesitated for a second, and then turned back to hug him tightly. She had then run back upstairs to their apartment.

Now, as she stood staring at the mirror, she smiled; her hair was exact, and to anyone who looked at her they would know it too. Lara frowned at that thought and then shook her head; there was no time to worry about cocky, arrogant thoughts. In fact, it was a little off for her to have thoughts like that to begin with, but she shrugged it off as always.

A melody began to play from the toilet seat and Lara looked down at her cell phone placed precariously on the edge of the seat. She ground her teeth together as she grabbed it just before the movement of the vibrator could cause the phone to fall into the toilet. "That was a close one." She said to herself as she checked the Caller ID. She flipped the phone open and held it to her ear. "Hey, this is Lara. What's up?"

A giggle erupted from the other end of the phone. "Hi, Lara. It's Eva, how are you?" The soft, sweet voice of Evangeline Valentine spoke clearly, warmth and friendliness radiating from the tone of her voice. Eva sounded particularly happy at the moment.

"Oh, hey Eva. Nothing much, I was just getting ready for that party." Lara said as she stared at her mirror hair, a smile coming to her face. "Now, I know I've told you who I'm going as, but I still don't know who you're going to be." Lara had a slightly accusatory tone, trying to guilt her best friend into revealing the 'so-called' surprise.

"Lara, I'm not telling you. You'll find out who I am when my mom and I come to pick you up in a few minutes." Eva's voice said calmly, though Lara was certain she heard a faint giggle in there.

"Yeah, I guess. A few minutes huh? Well, I should have enough time to add the finishing touches then." Lara replied evenly.

"So, you're going as Lloyd, right? I've heard that no one else is planning to dress up as him. Weird, huh? I've heard that there are going to be at _least_ three people dressed as Zelos." Eva's voice said through the phone. "Oh, my mom wants to start going now, so we'll come by to pick you up, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. See you in a little bit." Lara said.

"See you in a little." Eva replied and the click sounding in Lara's ear was clearly the end of the conversation. She flipped her phone closed and shoved the technology into the pocket of her baggy black pants.

Lara looked at the mirror, the reverse image of her costume, or at least the mirror image of Lloyd Irving. She calmly walked to her room and picked up the Key Crest which still contained the gem. Using a little adhesive glue she stuck it to the red glove on her left hand. Fixing a long white ribbon cloth through the neck of the jacket she straightened it out so it fell the same distance on either side. At last, every detail was complete, her Lloyd Cosplay was acceptable. She had almost every detail, including the suspenders, as the pants were too loose to stay up on their own.

There was a ringing through the house and Lara smiled as she looked at herself one more time and left the bathroom, making sure to remember to turn the light off. "I think she's just coming out, dear." Lara heard her mother through the hallway, and she knew that she was talking to Eva.

Lara rounded the corner and stopped dead in her tracks, staring in awe at the girl in the doorway. It was almost impossible to recognize Eva, as she was dressed in a green dress with yellow-gold trim. From what Lara remembered of the game, Eva was dressed as Martel, and dare she admit it, Eva looked amazing that way. Eva's naturally green eyes completed the look, just as well as Lara's naturally chocolate brown hair and eyes allowed for her to match Lloyd almost perfectly.

"Hi Lara." Eva said with a giggle. "Do you like my costume?" She asked and spun in a small circle slowly, allowing Lara to get a good look at the details. She was wearing a green wig that had clearly needed extensions to make the hair length appropriate, but it looked so natural. Eva was a natural at cosplaying Martel, she could just tell.

"Eva, wow! So, you're dressed as Martel! You look awesome!" Lara said enthusiastically, smiling brightly at her best friend. She walked over to the door and looked at her friend's costume.

"Thanks so much. I worked really hard to put it together." Eva said smiling back.

A sudden thought struck Lara and she stared in awe at the dress again. The details were all there, Eva had worked really hard. Her mother must have helped out a bit with the threads, but Eva was very skilled with a sewing needle, despite her young age. "Eva, did you make that yourself?" Lara asked, having finally found her voice again.

"Lara, we can talk when we get to the car. I'm sure my mom's getting a little impatient out there." Eva said and her eyes glanced nervously behind her into the hallway. As if on cue, a car horn beeped outside and Eva twitched, but smiled as she turned around and beckoned Lara to follow.

"Mom, I'll see you later, and if not then I'm spending the night at Eva's." Lara said to her mother, whose reddish brown hair fell just below her shoulders. Lara stood a bit on her toes to kiss her mother on the cheek and then she walked out the door to follow Eva to her mom's car waiting outside.

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Twenty minutes later, they parked temporarily next to the sidewalk and Lara was the first to climb out of the car. Eva stayed in the passenger seat for a minute longer and shared a goodbye hug with her mother before stepping out of the car as well. Lara was too busy looking around to take much notice of the color in Eva's cheeks. A moment later she spotted two people waiting by the doors to the building. The two were dressed as Sync and Legretta from _Abyss_ and Lara took that to mean the twins Ashley and Jake.

Ashley and Jake were twins that they knew from school; both were a grade above them. Ashley generally wore dark make-up and dressed as a Goth, while her brother dressed in whatever style fit his tastes for the day or week. He could show up to school as a preppy-popular kid, or the next week be a full-blown punk kid. The two were virtually complete opposites of one another, and argued a lot about which characters were best, though they only agreed on characters when it came to _Tales of the Abyss_, their favorite game.

"Hey guys!" Lara exclaimed as she ran over. She hadn't seen the twins since they had graduated from high school the year before. It was a little depressing to think that the two no longer roamed the halls of their school, but it was great to see them again.

"Hey Lara!" They both exclaimed at the same time, though they each had to hug her in turns.

"So, you really are dressed as Lloyd." Ashley said as she looked Lara up and down. She fit the description of Legretta easily enough; she did have the dark, gothic personality to make it work. Her hair was naturally blonde, or at least, that's how Lara had always known her, so it seemed natural to see her as Legretta.

Eva walked over and stood a little off to the side, though she was friends with the twins, she had always been shy around them despite how much they liked her. Jake was the first to take notice of Eva, and then Ashley looked over just as her brother stopped hugging the poor girl.

"Eva, you look amazing." Jake said as a wide smile broke across his face. He had taken the mask off so he could see them better. "And Lara, you look great as Lloyd, one of the best Lloyd cosplays I've ever seen." He added and Lara smiled back at him as he said it.

Ashley growled slightly as she sighed. "Alright, let's break this little love fest and get inside. Everyone is waiting." She said, frowning as the three of them walked by her, talking and smiling as usual. Ashley growled a little in frustration, but followed behind them.

The inside of the building was amazingly large and grand. A huge space was set aside, its' flat surface was shining and glimmering in the dim lighting; clearly, it was set up as a dance floor. The ceiling overhead was domed and it made the room feel cavernous. There was a line of tables set up with food and bowls of punch, possibly spiked drinks. People crowded the large space; all of them dressed in costumes from the _Tales_ series of games.

Lara and Eva separated a little from the twins to get a better look around, but there was a lot to see. Lara, who had never been to a convention, was simply impressed by this simple party. She took a deep breath and the four of them walked further into the room. It was then that she noticed a man set off from the rest, dressed in a long black coat, long silver hair cascading down his back. Lara walked over and noted that he looked a bit like Widdershin from _Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology_.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice are you trying to cosplay Widdershin?" She asked and watched as the man jumped at her sudden question as if he hadn't seen her there. His eyes were bright green and seemed to glow in the dim light, looking oddly eerie.

"Why hello there, umm yes, that's what I was going for." The man said as he looked back and forth like he was looking for an exit. There was something really shifty about this guy. "My name is Alexander Morgan. What is yours?" He asked as he hesitantly reached his hand out as if asking her to shake it.

Lara missed the hidden tone of his voice and shook his hand. "I'm Lara Cruz." She replied and she looked over to see her friends approaching. "Those are my friends." She said and pointed them out to the man.

"Ah, I see. You and your friends share common interests." He said and Lara failed to notice the change in his voice. "Might I ask if you are familiar with the Prophecy of Istara?" Lara turned to face him, confused by the question. "I see that you are not. I am terribly sorry if I have confused you." He said.

Lara smiled and shook her head. "It's no big deal. Say, that's a really cool crystal you have there." She said and pointed at a black crystal that seemed to be embedded in the man's chest. Suddenly Lara backed away from him, staring at the crystal. It was in fact, embedded in his chest, and not simply adhered to the skin by some type of glue. That fact alone was scaring her away from this man who already seemed like a shifty, mysterious character. It almost made her feel like she was in a _Tales_ game.

"Oh this, it's not really part of my costume. I had an accident in my youth that got this thing stuck here. No one dares to perform surgery to remove it; the doctors all say it'll kill me to remove it." He said calmly, but Lara noticed a sudden gleam in the man's eye. "It's really not a big deal though; I've learned to live with it. I hardly notice it's there at all, anymore."

"Hi there, I'm Eva." Eva said sweetly as she took her place standing by Lara's side. Lara looked at her friend as if trying to warn her without saying anything. Eva reached her hand out to shake hands with this stranger. She clearly didn't see any of the danger that Lara was starting to notice.

The man smiled politely and bowed to her as the twins stepped closer. "I wonder if I might ask you all for a small favor. You see, I'm a game developer and I've been working on a Virtual Reality game for quite some time. I need some beta-testers, and everyone I've met has refused to try it." He said, his smile was charming, alluring, it was no wonder the others couldn't see it yet. Lara wasn't sure if she was seeing things correctly, but her gut instinct was telling her that this man was bad news.

"Yeah, sure. Sounds like it'll be a lot of fun." Jake said enthusiastically, Ashley immediately disagreeing with her brother but offering her assistance to the man anyway. "We'd love to help you test it out. If it works properly, tons of people would be interested in it. And if not, plenty of game companies would be interested in the technology anyway, right?" The man smiled at the twins.

"Okay, Lara, you're coming too, right?" Eva asked and Lara looked at her friend for a moment before nodding once. There was no way she was going to leave her friends to face this alone. They were her friends, so she couldn't let them go without her, now could she?

"Excellent!" The man exclaimed, clapping his hands together as though delighted by their willingness to help him. "Follow me, right this way." He said and began leading them down a dark hallway. Lara felt really bad about this, but kept her mouth shut. Her friends would just call her paranoid as usual.

He led them into a room that held a metal device shaped like a dome or even like an igloo and he motioned for them to step closer. They walked over to the device and he opened the door for them to step inside. Lara barely had time to notice as she got the feeling she was being pulled towards something without her permission. The others noticed it too and began screaming, deafening Lara as she tried to turn and run, but the pull was too strong. The silver-haired man was smirking, the glint in his eyes clearly meant no good.

When Lara turned her head to look at the metal dome, she could see a swirling vortex of purple-black energy that was pulling her and her friends towards it. Jake and Ashley were the first to disappear as they had been closest to the machine. Eva was next to be pulled in, screaming her head off as she disappeared.

"Good luck my friends! Especially to you, my dear Lara. I do hope you don't die before you meet me again." He said as he turned his back on her and left her to be pulled into the vortex.

That was the last thing Lara saw before her vision went black and she felt the sensation of falling. The screaming all around her had ended, and she felt as though she was now all alone. _Stupid bastard, what the hell was that for?_ Lara thought angrily as she realized he had forced them through a portal, possibly into a world from which they would never return. After she had that thought, her mind went blank, and she was left with nothing but darkness.

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**I don't really want to leave you there, but that's it for the first chapter. I feel it's a bit short, but that can't be helped at the moment. Thanks for reading the first chapter. Please review, thanks. It's a bit of a serious chapter, but I felt it needed to be for the beginning. I'll be around, see you later folks. Please keep me motivated, I can't keep this up at a decent pace if I'm not motivated enough to work on it as much as I can. Thanks in advance.**


	2. The Oracle

**Okay, so it's been... a REALLY long time since I uploaded and published the first chapter. Man, I am SOOOO sorry about the long wait. Things got busy, I forgot about this fanfiction. What can I say... Life happens. Anyway, I will do my best to keep this moving from here on. Okay, so on to the next chapter.**

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**Chapter 2 - The Oracle's Light**

It took a while before she could finally open her eyes again. Her arms felt really heavy and her feet were aching pretty bad, like she'd been standing on her feet for several hours. "Lloyd Irving! Wake up!" She heard a familiar voice yell. It was cast in her direction. Lara managed to open her eyes in time to see a chalk eraser flying at her head.

She ducked under the eraser and it hit the wall behind her, chalk dust exploding all over the surrounding area. Lara coughed uncontrollably as some of it filled her mouth when she inhaled. When the coughing finally died down, she looked up at the figure of Raine Sage, who was glaring at her. "Glad to see you join the rest of the class, Lloyd." She said. "How do you manage to sleep standing?" She asked hypothetically as she walked away.

'_It's a gift._' She thought, even though she wasn't sure what was going on. Lara looked down and realized she was still dressed as Lloyd. And strangely enough she was carrying a bucketful of water in each hand. No wonder why her arms felt so weighed down.

Raine continued her lecture as Lara bit her lip and tried to figure out what was going on, and how she had come to be here. Genis started talking as the lesson continued and Lara looked over at him. Colette was sitting in her usual spot, it looked like she was daydreaming a little. She smiled a bit at that, but found it strange that Lloyd himself wasn't here. Usually he was the one standing in this spot, right? So where was he?

There was a strange buzzing in her ears and Lara shook her head to be rid of it. Probably a bug flying around near her head. If there was any sound more annoying to her ears, she hadn't heard it yet. She wasn't listening to them talk though as a blinding flash of light lit up the sky outside. Lara shielded her eyes as best she could but still wound up with little spots of light floating around in her vision.

Raine looked out the window as everyone crowded around. "Class, stay here and continue studying. I'll be back shortly." She said and rushed from the building.

Lara watched her go and couldn't help but overhear another girl in the room. "Yeah, continue studying. Like we're going to do that." She looked and saw a tall teenage girl roll her eyes as she talked to her friends. Lara grit her teeth, but chose not to say anything. After all, she didn't know these people.

She was still trying to figure out how she had gotten here when Genis approached her. Lara froze and watched him, he had a suspicious look on his face as he looked at her. '_Damn, it's bad enough I don't know what's going on, but if Genis rats me out for an imposter..._' She needed an escape route, but she didn't want to just run off either. Then he would know for sure that something was up.

"Hey, Lloyd." Genis said carefully as he looked at her.

Lara bit her lip and nodded at him, smiling. "Genis, come over here." She said, leading him to a corner of the room where no one else was standing around. She looked to make sure no one was watching. His eyes were wide as he looked at her, clearly he had noticed her voice was not Lloyd's. She motioned for him to come over and he did, but hesitantly.

With a deep breath she checked one more time around the room and when she was certain that no one else was close enough to hear, she began speaking. "Okay, Genis, I can tell what you're thinking from the look on your face..." He shook his head and backed away a step. Lara grabbed his arm and gave him a pleading look. "Please hear me out before you scream. I know what you're thinking, and you're right. I am NOT Lloyd." She said.

Genis frowned. "Then... who are you and what are you doing here?" He asked, also in a whisper. She was glad he was at least being subtle and not alerting the others.

She gave him a nervous smile. "To be perfectly honest, I don't know how I got here exactly. I shouldn't have been put in Lloyd's place. Anyway, my name is Lara." She said.

Genis looked over at Colette who was busy staring at a wall on the other side of the room that had a human shaped hole in it. Lara stared at the hole and smiled a little, knowing how it got there. "You don't know how you got here?" He asked.

Lara shook her head. "Well, I kinda do, but not how I got HERE." She said, indicating the school building. "I'm not from around here. My friends and I were all together before this happened..." she said and paused. Her friends. They were probably in this world somewhere as well. They could be in danger... now that was a thought that worried her more than anything else.

Genis was having a different train of thought, apparently. "But, if you're here, then where is Lloyd?" He asked.

Lara looked at him, she opened her mouth to answer and closed it again. "Now that is a good question. One I don't have an answer to." She frowned and looked around. "Genis, I know this is probably going to be a strange idea, but I need your help to pull it off." She said.

"What do you have in mind?" He asked. Lara was a little surprised that he wasn't outright opposed to listening to the idea she had. Well, she had been honest with him about her identity, so maybe that had something to do with it.

She glanced at Colette and then looked back at Genis. "I have no doubt that Raine will probably find out I'm not Lloyd either, but Colette..." She sighed. "If she finds out that Lloyd is missing, she might run off and neglect her duty as the Chosen of Regeneration." Genis nodded, biting the inside of his cheek. "Genis, I need you to help me pretend to be Lloyd. At least until we find out where he really is."

Genis back away and stared at her as though she had grown an extra head. "You want me to... lie? To Colette?" He asked.

Lara looked at him, with the same pleading look as before. "Think, Genis, if Colette discovers Lloyd is missing, she's likely going to be distraught. I'm not willing to let that happen. This idea is the only way I can think of to help the situation as it stands. At least while I'm here in his place." She said.

"But we'll try to look for Lloyd, right?" He asked. Lara nodded. Genis looked unsure but after a moment, he held his hand out. Lara smiled and shook his hand. "I'll help you. How much do you know about Lloyd though? It sounds like you know all of us." He said.

'_That's right! I didn't exactly hide the fact that I know who he and his friends are. Alright, think of something... and hopefully something convincing._' She thought. She couldn't think of something quick enough and she knew he was waiting for an answer. "I'm sorry, Genis. I do know who you guys are, but I can't explain that right now." She said. Lara had no excuse, but she really didn't want to get into it, knowing how serious the current situation was.

Genis sighed. "Alright, I won't ask again. At least not until after we've found Lloyd. But then you'll have to explain what's going on." He said.

Lara nodded her agreement. "Okay, so let's get going." She stood up and began to walk out of the room. Genis followed her.

As she was about to walk through the open door, an old priest walked inside. His robe was bloodied and Lara backed away, a horror stricken look in her eyes. This was the Pastor from the game, but what was he doing here? Colette turned away from the wall and ran over. "Pastor!" She cried out, kneeling beside the man as he fell to the floor.

He reached up a bloody hand and touched Colette's face. "Des...ians... at the... Temple... Cho...sen... m-m-must rec...ieve... Oracle..." He didn't get the chance to say anything more as the breath left him. Lara covered her mouth and looked away, even Genis looked rather upset.

After a moment's silence, Colette stood up and started to walk out of the classroom. "Colette, where are you going?" Lara asked, doing her best to try and sound like Lloyd.

She turned around and put her hands together, like she was praying. "I have to go to the Temple and recieve the Oracle." She said.

"But the Desians are there!" Genis exclaimed, clearly worried about his best friend.

"I know." Colette said and smiled sadly. "But I can't let that stop me." She said and began to walk out again. Lara reached out and grabbed her arm. Colette looked at her, confused.

"I'm not letting you go alone." Lara said simply. Genis and Colette both looked at her in shock, but after a moment, Colette smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Lloyd. I'd be happy to have you join me." She said.

Lara smiled. "That's what I'm here for. If the Desians are there, then you'll need someone to protect you." Colette nodded and walked out the door. Lara looked down at Genis. "You're coming too, of course." She said.

Genis looked at her with wide eyes. "What? Me?" He asked.

Lara sighed. "Of course you. How else am I supposed to keep up the charade?" She asked him in a whisper. "Come on, Genis!" She said loudly, making sure to sound as much like Lloyd as she could manage. It wasn't too hard to sound like a guy since she naturally had a deeper tone than most girls her age. But even then she might still sound like a girl to the others if she wasn't careful.

Genis followed after her. "I-I'm coming!" He sounded as nervous as he looked. Genis definitely didn't like fighting or running into dangerous situations. Lara felt a little bad that she had to drag him into this, but she needed his help. There was no way she was going to be able to pull this off without him.

They walked out of the school building and Lara looked around, suddenly realizing just how big the world of the game really was. There were several different streets and tons more buildings than you would expect. Most of which had some farmland, and others were clearly shops or family homes. It was amazing to think about. Colette continued walking and Lara followed her to the best of her abilities, trying to make a mental map of the village as they went.

It wasn't long before they reached the gate and walked out into a large low field. There was a beach off to the right where the water lapped the shore, but that's not where they were heading. Instead, they turned to the left and followed the shoreline. The Martel Temple was built onto a high hill up against a cliff, most of the temple was built inside the cliff and down into the hill. At least according to the game that's what it would seem like. But this was different so Lara wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

A sudden scream echoed through the air and Lara looked up the steps as a priest fell off the hill. Colette looked away before he hit the ground. These people weren't from her world, but Lara felt an anger in her that this was happening. She knew that the people here weren't actually Desians, they were Renegades, but she couldn't tell the others that. "Let's go." She said darkly.

Colette and Genis watched her as she started up the steps. When she looked back she saw them exchange a glance but they followed her without question. Lara reached for the hilts at her side and drew her swords. The sound of the metal scraping the sheath told her that these weren't the fake swords she had made for her cosplay costume. Somehow the transfer into this world had made them into real swords. The thought made her wonder about her Exsphere, and she looked at the blue gem on her hand. It glinted in the sunlight and she thought she could feel something different about it. As she thought that the buzzing in her ears came back and she shook her head, trying to get rid of it.

When she reached the top step she saw him, Botta. He was threatening Phaidra, Colette's grandmother. In fact, his sword was dangerously close to the old woman's face. Lara growled deep in her throat. "Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" She shouted. He turned around and glared at them.

"Grandmother!" Colette cried out and began to run forward. Lara held out one arm to stop her, sword in hand. Colette looked at her and stepped back.

Botta smirked at that. "So there you are Chosen One." He said, before glaring at Lara. "Stay out of this, boy!" He began to walk forward, sword in hand. The other Renegades were smirking as well, she could see.

"You want her, you have to go through me first!" Lara said, stepping forward as well, taking her stance.

"A-and me!" Genis cried out, running forward. He had his kendama out, she could see and he was already thinking over which spell to use first, she was willing to bet.

Botta laughed. "Very well. Get them!" He ordered the troops. The first two that stepped forward smirked. "We'll make quick work of them." One said.

Lara ran forward, keeping the swords low to the ground. One soldier slashed his sword at her head, but she ducked and slid along the ground. With a quick, graceful movement, she turned and got back on her feet, slashing her swords at the guy's back. The swords were clearly made of a strong material as she felt the blades slice through the man's sides. Blood gushed out of the wounds and he fell, trying to stanch the bleeding with his hands.

She felt bad about having to fight and kill like this, but she didn't have much time to think about it as the other soldier came at her. "Fire Ball!" Genis yelled from the sidelines. The spell hit the second soldier who turned to go after Genis. Thankful for the distraction, Lara ran at him and hit his helmet with the pommel of her sword. A loud ringing sounded from the metal and the soldier stumbled, disoriented from the sound and vibration. Lara jumped back and maneuvered the blades into the shape of an X slashing at the soldiers' stomach. He fell the same as the last one had. There was really only one other lesser troop to worry about, but he looked too scared to move.

Lara made one step towards him and he screamed and ran. She let him go, he wasn't going to be a threat. Botta sighed and took his own battle stance. "Looks like I will have to deal with you myself." He said.

Now this wasn't what she had expected, but she didn't see the other large guy from the game. So maybe this was normal for this world. Lara quickly took her stance as well and looked back at Genis who nodded to indicate he was ready. Colette looked shocked, maybe from the death, but she didn't seem inclined to join the fight. Lara could see in her eyes that she wanted to help, but she was hesitant to do so. Good, that meant she didn't have to worry about her getting in the way at least.

'_Look out!_' A voice shouted in her head. Lara looked and managed to duck under Botta's first attack just in the nick of time. After a moment she realized the voice had been Lloyd's. She moved away from Botta and crossed her swords in a defensive stance.

'_Lloyd? Is that really you?_' She asked. Botta ran at her again and she dodge to the side, swinging her left arm in an arc to slash at his side. She missed as he moved to the side of her attack. She expected that, Botta had years more experience fighting than she did. And everything she knew about sword fighting came mostly from movies, not from actual practice. So far she had been lucky not to hurt herself with her weapons.

'_Yeah, of course it's me. Who the hell are you? And what are you doing with my friends?_' He demanded. Lara could sense how angry and confused he was.

'_Lloyd, now really isn't the time. I'm in the middle of fighting. I promise to explain later, after I take care of this guy, okay?_' She asked. He was hesitant to let the issue drop but eventually gave his consent. Alright, now she had to really focus on the fighting.

She looked over and noticed that Botta was chanting, a yellow-brown runic glyph appeared below his feet. Lara clenched her hands tighter around her swords and ran at him. There was a sudden tremor beneath her feet and she jumped out of the way, narrowly missing the earthen spikes jutting out of the ground. But despite her speed, the earth grazed her ankle. Lara landed on the ground, hard. "Ow!" She glared up at Botta who looked at her and smirked, lifting his blade to strike her.

"Lloyd!" Colette and Genis both cried out at the same time.

She was on the ground and didn't have enough time to move out of the way. Lara closed her eyes and cringed until she heard the sound of metal clashing. She looked up to see none other than Kratos standing in front of her. With a grunt, she got back on to her feet and backed away a little.

Botta grit his teeth and jumped back, glaring at the other man. "Damn, I never thought you'd show up. I'll retreat for now." He said and took off down the steps.

Colette and Genis ran over to Lara. "Lloyd, are you okay?" Colette asked, looking at her ankle. Her boots hid any damage, but her foot really hurt. Either the hit had sprained it, or broken a bone, or even done both.

Lara nodded her head. "I'm alright." She said simply and looked at Kratos. "My foot just hurts a little."

Kratos looked over at them and though Lara was certain he couldn't see the damage, he knew that she was hurt. She just hoped he couldn't see that she wasn't Lloyd. He walked over and looked at the three of them. After a moment he focused on Lara, and sighed. "First Aid!" He said. She felt the magic flow through her, mostly around the spot where her ankle hurt. The sensation grew stronger and a warmth spread around the pain and it was suddenly gone.

Lara looked at her foot and tested it by putting her weight on it. There wasn't any pain left and she looked at Kratos. "Thanks." She said, doing her best to keep sounding like Lloyd.

Kratos said nothing and walked over to Phaidra. The two of them spoke in hushed tones for a while, completely unlike the game and Lara looked at Colette. Genis seemed confused as well. "Just who is this guy?" He asked.

Lara shook her head, pretending that she didn't know who Kratos was. "I have no idea. But my guess is he's some kind of mercenary." She told him. Genis nodded his head, but the information didn't seem to make him any less worried about the stranger.

They finished talking and Kratos looked at them. "You two can go home. I'll protect the Chosen One from here on out." He said looking at her and Genis.

Genis seemed ready to listen to him, but Lara didn't like that attitude of his. She knew Kratos was like this from the game, but playing the game and smiling at his comments and hearing them for real were two different things. She stepped forward. "I don't think so. Colette is my friend, and I'm not leaving until I see this through." She said.

Genis looked at her like she was crazy. "Lloyd, are you insane?" He asked. At least he was still pretending, he really was a good actor except when it came to his fear of battle.

Kratos paused and looked at Lara. "You're name is Lloyd?" He asked, the tone in his voice changed a little. It almost sounded like he was in pain.

Lara put her hands on her hips and nodded. "Yeah, what's it to you?" She asked.

Kratos sighed and shook his head. "Nothing. Either way, your help isn't needed any more, so go home, Lloyd." He said.

Lara smirked. "Why should I? You're not my father." She said. That garnered a glare from the older man, and she knew the reason why. Though Kratos wasn't likely to reveal himself for who he was anyway.

"Stubborn kid." He muttered and looked away angrily.

"Umm, excuse me. I'd actually feel much more comfortable if my friends could come with me." Colette spoke up. "I get really nervous when they're not around."

Kratos paused as he looked at the blonde and took a deep breath. "Fine, just don't get in my way." He said to Lara and Genis. With that he turned and headed into the temple ahead of them.

"Thanks, Colette." Lara said with a smile.

"It's true." Colette answered. Genis followed behind looking rather upset.

'_Are you going to explain what's going on yet?_' Lloyd asked in her head.

Lara frowned. '_Later. Let me get them through the Temple first. I'll explain when we're back in Iselia._'

'_Alright, fine. You better keep your promise._' Lloyd replied. She got the sinking suspicion that he was crossing his arms as he said it.

As they walked inside, Lara looked ahead and noticed the door to the antechamber was sealed like in the game. At least this part she remembered. Genis looked at it. "How do we get past that seal?" He asked.

"There's a ring the priests usually use to unseal the door. It's on one of the lower levels." Colette answered.

Lara sighed. "Then we have to go get it."

"Yep, it's part of the trial." Colette said.

Kratos stood off to the side, looking rather grim and serious. "Let's get moving." He said simply and led the way down the other corridor.

Traversing the temple was actually fairly easy, there were a few monsters here and there, but they were seriously weak when compared to the Renegades from before. Lara followed close behind Kratos with Colette directly behind her, and Genis bringing up the rear. Probably not the best formation, but most of the monsters were ahead of them, not behind.

Finally they made it to the lowest level and found the Sorcerer's ring. Lara walked forward, "It's so cool!" She said and grabbed the ring from the pedestal it was on. She put it on and shot fire out of the ring. "Whoa, did you guys see that?" She asked. Genis seemed impressed by how well she was pretending to be Lloyd right now. "I can't wait to use this on the seal!" She did her best to grin like an idiot the way Lloyd usually did. Colette giggled on the side, and Kratos sighed.

"Quit fooling around. We have a job to do." He said in a rather annoyed tone. He was shooting a dark look at Lara, but she ignored him. Even going to far as to stick her tongue out at him when he looked away. "I saw that." Kratos said darkly. Lara bit her lip.

"Alright Mr. Snootypants, let's keep going then." She said, walking by him and leading the way back to the upper level. When she looked back, Kratos looked annoyed, but no more than usual. If he'd had any other expression on his face at her comment, he had reverted to his normal seriousness before she'd had the chance to see it.

They reached the main room again and Lara hurried forward to use the Sorcerer's Ring on the seal. When it didn't do anything fancy, she did her best to look disappointed. "Aww, is that all it does?" She asked.

Genis sighed and shrugged. "It's not good to get over excited about things, Lloyd." He said.

Lara sighed. "Yeah, I know. I just thought it'd be more exciting than that." She replied.

After that they went up into the main antechamber where the Angel Remiel appeared and gave his usual spiel to Colette about the Journey of Regeneration and everything. She accepted her responsibility and got the Cruxis Crystal and the Tower of Salvation appeared. Lara was glad that this was mostly over with, as Colette and Kratos left before them.

Genis and her left after them like in the game version, only Raine didn't show up to give them a beat down. Lara was happy with that, though. She really didn't want to have to worry about explaining herself to Raine just yet. So with a sigh, she and Genis headed back to Iselia.

* * *

**Okay, I am going to end this chapter here. Again, I'm really sorry about the extremely long wait for the continuance. I've been on a Tales hype the past few weeks and I should be updating more regularly now. Also, I hope the length and quality of this chapter makes up for the wait. Sorry to all of you who've been waiting. ^ ^**

**Also, sorry for the kind of crappy ending to this chapter. I just... REALLY HATE... Remiel. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of having his dialogue. Partly because I would have to play the start of the game again to remember it and partly because... again, I hate him.**


	3. The Renegades

**Okay, so here is the third chapter in the series. I'm sure I don't need to remind people that no, I do NOT own Tales of Symphonia or the characters in it, just the OC's I have added. Also, just to make things clear, my characters are NOT self-inserts. They share certain traits with me but only to help me relate to their characters better. But they are in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM, a self-insert. Because the real me is too crazy for words... Now, on to the story. ^ ^  
**

**Anyway, this chapter will be following the POV of Eva, who is currently dressed as Martel, as I'm sure you remember.**

* * *

**Chapter 3 - The Renegades**

It took a while before she woke up, her body ached all over and her head was still spinning. Eva sat up slowly and tried to look around but her vision was blurred. She had to wait for it to clear before she could make out her surroundings. The air was acrid, humid and very hot, and from what she could see, she was lying at the edge of a desert. Her head felt hotter than usual as well and she reached up to pull off her wig. Instead her hand came into contact with real hair, not the synthetic material usually used for wigs.

Panicking a little, Eva pulled a strand in front of her face and looked at the light mint green hair. She let out a soft breath of surprise and looked around some more. So she was in a strange new place and now she somehow had green hair. It took her another moment to look around and notice that there were dead plants all around the area where she was sitting. The ground looked a little scorched, but that couldn't have killed all the plants that way. No, they looked like the life or energy had been drained out of them for some reason, and she believed she understood the reason why. Somehow, it had to do with her arrival into this world, wherever she was.

Her staff was lying on the ground not too far away so she got up and walked over, picking up the weapon. Eva was surprised when her fingers touched the cool metal of the staff. Taking a deep breath, she picked it up off the ground and decided she might as well try and find out where she was. After all, she wasn't going to get anywhere by standing around doing nothing. She was still hurting but the closest place was the desert and although she didn't want to head into the heat, there wasn't anywhere else to go really.

It took a few hours but she finally stumbled upon a little oasis with a village built around it. As she walked into the village and looked around, Eva finally began to realize exactly where she was. This was Triet, the desert oasis from Tales of Symphonia. Her mouth hung open for a moment until she closed it abruptly and began looking around. She needed some water, and to get herself a canteen to keep fresh water with her. But, how was she going to get anything without any money? It wasn't like she had any currency she could use in this world.

There was a little boy standing by the wooden bridge out over the water. Eva sighed as she walked over and looked longingly at the water. The boy looked at her. "Hey, is there something I can do for you miss?" He asked.

Eva looked at him and smiled kindly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just traveled through the desert from the flatlands a few hours away. I seem to have lost my canteen though, so I've been dying for a drink of water." She said.

The boy crossed his arms in thought. "Well, I have one extra canteen I can give you. I'll fill it from the oasis for free as well." He said.

Shocked, Eva shook her head, still smiling. "Oh no, I couldn't ask you to do that for me. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble." She said.

"No problem, miss. I'm offering. Besides, I'm in charge of the oasis so there's no one to punish me but myself." He smiled and skipped out to the end of the wooden dock. Eva watched him fill the canteen and twist the cap back on, returning to her. "Here you go, miss. Free of charge, just as I offered."

Eva accepted the container, smiling, though she still felt guilty for taking the boy's hospitality like that. "Thank you very much. I will treasure this gift."

The boy smiled brightly and scratched his head. "Aww, it's nuthin' miss. Just doing what I do best." He said.

"Either way, I thank you." She said and taking the canteen, Eva turned and walked away deciding it would be a good idea to look around a bit before trying to move on.

With a deep breath and a sigh of relief, Eva walked around Triet, looking at the market stalls to see what was being displayed for sale. She couldn't buy anything, but there was no law that said she couldn't at least look at the merchandise. Some stall owners watched her suspiciously, but she ignored them as best she could and kept looking around.

Eventually as she was headed for the Inn, something hard hit the back of her head with considerable force. "Yah!" Eva stumbled forward a step or two and turned around to see who was behind her. A young girl stood there, holding another rock in her hands as other people looked on. "What?" Eva wondered aloud.

"Get out of here you filthy half-elf!" One of the older onlookers shouted at her.

Eva frowned and looked at him, confused. "What are you talking about?" She asked.

"Don't think we didn't notice those ears of yours as you checked out our market! You're planning to steal everything! So get out of here!" He yelled at her again.

Her eyes widened slightly and she reached up a hand to feel her ear. Eva paused in shock and horror as she felt that the tip of her ear was in fact slightly pointed. But how in the world was it possible? She was only human in her world. Was it because she was dressed up like Martel? It would make some sense seeing as she now had naturally light green hair as well.

Eva looked at the ground. "I am sorry for causing you trouble. Very well, I'll leave." She said to them. The villagers looked relieved that she agreed to leave without a fuss.

Sad that she was being treated this way, Eva saw no way out of the situation but to do as she promised. She turned away from the Inn and headed for the exit to the oasis. She turned at the last second and looked at the girl and the onlookers. "I hope you can learn to accept me later. I bare you no ill will." She said before finally walking out of the village.

"Now where am I supposed to go?" She asked aloud and sighed. "I suppose I could try heading back to the flatland and head for Iselia." She said and then shook her head. "No, I'm likely to get the same reception there as well. But what if Lara is there?" She thought for a while as she stood in the shade of Triet's walls.

"I know somewhere you can go." A voice said from off to the side.

Eva jumped several feet back and hit the wall as her heart fluttered rapidly. She looked over and saw a Desian. No, that was the Renegade uniform. She relaxed a little more and stepped away from the wall. "You startled me."

"Heh, sorry about that." The renegade said. "You're looking for somewhere to go though, right?" He asked again.

Eva nodded. "Yes, that's right. The people here didn't want me to stay." She said.

"That's typical of humans. Come with me. I'll take you to that place I mentioned." He said.

Eva glanced back towards the entrance and then at the renegade. If she went with him, there was a chance she would run into Yuan, and dressed as she was, he was likely to capture and lock her up. But there wasn't anywhere else to go, and she didn't want to travel alone, especially not if she ran into any monsters. The renegade held out a hand and Eva took a deep breath before she took it.

"Alright. Show me the way." She said.

* * *

Less than an hour later they were standing in front of the large metal base. Eva looked up but couldn't see the top of the building from here. _The game has nothing on the real thing._ She thought to herself as the renegade approached the guards and explained the situation. They glanced over at Eva, who was trying to look like she didn't know where she was.

"Alright." One guard said after a moment. "But you better let Lord Yuan know you picked her up."

"I know. I'm taking her to him now." The renegade answered.

Eva paused and looked over, trying not to show that she recognized that name, and that she was seriously worried. The guard waved them through and the renegade led her inside. "What was that about?" She asked.

"We have to keep security pretty tight around here. After all, we are trying to ruin the Desian's plans." The renegade said. "Come on, I have to introduce you to our leader."

Eva nodded. "Alright. I guess that is important." She said.

Only a few minutes later, they entered a large room that had a desk at the far end and looked very much like Yuan's office from the game. Only... the decor was so much more... beautiful. If the Renegade leader had chosen these decorations and setup for himself, he had incredible taste. Eva looked around a little bit more and then realized that the renegade who had brought her in had wandered over to the other door.

"I'll be right back." He said and stepped through as the automated door opened.

She had just enough time to catch a glimpse of what looked like a bed and a couch in there before the door closed behind him. It took a moment for the action to register in her brain, but Eva suddenly realized who had brought her here. He was no ordinary renegade soldier. She backed towards the door out when the door to the bedroom opened and Yuan stepped out, dressed in his usual outfit from the game. Eva paused and looked at him, trying to be calm, but her heart was racing away.

Yuan looked over and saw how close she was to the door and his eyes narrowed. Eva felt her heart skip a beat and her legs suddenly couldn't bare her weight anymore. She fell to her knees and found herself staring at the floor, it was too much for her to process all at once.

Eva felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up to see that Yuan was looking at her. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words to say as he sighed and lifted her from the ground. Before she could protest, he carried her into the other room and put her on the bed.

"Try and collect yourself. I'll want answers from you later." He said before he walked back into the office room.

Eva stared at the ceiling for a while and eventually sat up to look around the room better. As far as she could tell, the only way out of this room was through the office. She hoped that wasn't true and that there was a secret wall built in somewhere so she could escape at some point. With a sigh, she lay back against the pillows and closed her eyes to try and think. It didn't help much, and eventually she lost her train of thought and simply drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Okay, I am going to end this chapter here. Mostly because I can't think of what else to write as Eva and partly because I want to move on to writing the next chapter which will go back to following Lara. Also, I hope this chapter is alright and that you all enjoy it. As I said, I will try and update as often as I can with this story from now on.**

**Also, I love getting new ideas, and hearing suggestions from others. So, feel free to suggest ideas on events or things that could happen, I will look through them. Don't be shy about it either, but know that I may or may not use your idea. But, if I do use it, I will be sure to give you credit for the idea in the End of Chapter disclaimer. ^ ^**

**Okay then, until next chapter. I hope you had fun reading this one and please, feel free to offer idea suggestions if you want.**


	4. Must Have Lost My Marbles

**Hello ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the circus...**

**I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Anyway, felt the need to cheer things up a little, especially since I've been dealing with some incredibly depressing things lately. Mostly due to something stupid my father said to me on facebook that I didn't believe. Gave him a piece of my mind already and told him I want nothing to do with him any more. Anyway, I'll try to keep this going without getting too distracted.**

**Anyway, here is the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it. And sorry for the horribly lame title Pun.**

**Also, remember I do not own the Tales of Symphonia characters. Only the OC's I have created for this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Must Have Lost My Marbles**

They were heading back to Iselia now when Lara felt a sudden piercing pain shoot through her entire body. Without warning, she cried out in pain and fell to the ground, unable to handle it. Genis rushed over and leaned over her. She didn't even notice him because the pain was too intense. Lara wanted nothing more than to curl up and die just to end the pain.

'_Lara! Hey! Come on, you can't let it get to you!_' Lloyd's voice shouted in her head.

A minute later the pain subsided and Lara let out a shuddering breath as she tried to slow her heart rate. Genis was still staring at her, a worried expression on his face. Lara sat up slowly and collected herself before finally trying to stand up again.

"Are you alright? You looked like you were in pain." Genis asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine now." Lara answered, though her voice was shaky from the shock of it. "I don't know where it came from." She said and shook her head.

'_It came from the Exsphere._' Lloyd said.

Lara frowned and looked at Genis before she replied to Lloyd. '_Expshere?_' She asked.

'_Yeah, the one you're wearing on your hand. It's just like mine, only you aren't wearing a Key Crest._' Lloyd answered matter-of-factly.

Lara started at that thought and looked at her hand. "It's real?" She asked aloud, which gained her an unusual stare from Genis.

"What's real?" He asked and frowned when she shook her head at him.

"Nothing. Hold on." She said. Instead, she focused her thoughts on Lloyd. '_How can you tell it's a real Exsphere? It's not like you're here to look at it._' She asked.

Lloyd didn't answer for a while, seeming to be lost in thought. '_I don't know how I can tell, I can just feel it._' He answered. '_It's like... our Exspheres are connected somehow and I can tell because of that._'

Well, the answer at least seemed to make some kind of sense, at least for Lloyd it did. Lara couldn't make heads or tails of the explanation, however. The only way the two could be connected was if... She paused and her eyes grew wider as the implications grew in her mind.

'_If it's like yours then it's your Mother's Exsphere. But how on Earth did I get half of it?_' She yelled at him in her excitement. She forgot about Genis being with her, and all he could see was the frantic expression on her face.

Lloyd seemed to understand what it meant too. '_B-but... that can't be right. Dad only found me and mom, and she died after that._' He said before continuing. '_How could we... how could you...?_'_  
_

Lloyd was clearly at a loss for words and Lara sighed, trying to collect her thoughts. '_Alright. I know my Dad had this gem on display in his shop for a long time, but he would never sell it. I suppose it should have bothered me a little when he simply let me borrow it for my costume._' She said.

'_Costume?_' Lloyd asked.

'_Forget about it. Anyway, it seems right now I'm in your place because I was pulled into this world dressed as you._' She said.

Lloyd was quiet again for a moment. '_Huh, so that explains why I'm not in Iselia. Wait, I think I can get back there easily from where I am. Head to the village and I'll try to meet you._' He said and then was quiet before she could answer.

Lara sighed and took an extra deep breath before turning to look at Genis who was looking very confused at the moment. "What just happened?" Genis asked.

Lara smiled nervously. "Heh, sorry. I kind of got caught up there talking to Lloyd." She said.

"Lloyd? You talked to him?" Genis cried out in shock. "Is he okay?"

"Woah! Calm down Genis!" She said putting her hands out in front of her to lessen his onslaught of questions. "Lloyd is fine, he said he thinks he's not far from Iselia and he'll try to meet us there." She answered.

"Wha-" Genis cut himself off and smiled widely. "Let's go then! We'll meet him before we go to Colette's house!" He cried out happily.

Before she could calm him down or stop him, Genis actually started running for Iselia and she smiled before running after him. She couldn't very well let him run into a monster on his own. It took only a matter of minutes to run back to the village and Lara had to rely on Genis' sense of direction to get through the streets. After all, it was so much bigger and she had no idea where she was going with all these extra streets and buildings.

"Hey!" Lloyd shouted as he ran forward through the main entrance to the village.

"Lloyd!" Genis shouted and ran over to greet him.

Lara stayed back a bit, feeling a bit out of place, not only because she was still dressed as Lloyd, but also because of what they might have discovered. Lara had always had the feeling that she'd been adopted by her parents, but she didn't love them any less for it. But the thought of finding her real family had always eluded her when there were no leads in her world. No medical records of her birth had ever been discovered, but she remembered once hearing her parents talking about the orphanage they'd found her in. The only link to her past had been the blue stone that was on display in the shop.

She wondered why she only just now remembered this, but it gave her even more clues to her past, and a startling revelation. If she really was related to Lloyd, then wouldn't that also mean that she was related to Kratos? Well, that was something she would have to keep to herself, Lloyd certainly couldn't know about it.

When she looked back over at Lloyd and Genis they were both looking at her and she blushed a little. "Sorry, it must be odd to see someone dressed just like yourself." She said.

Lloyd smiled brightly. "Not at all! Actually, I think it's kinda cool!" He answered and laughed. "Do you have something else to wear though?" He asked.

Lara frowned as she thought about what she'd had on her at the party. She'd only just gotten dressed in the cosplay and hadn't bothered planning on bringing extra clothes. "I don't believe I do." She answered and bit her lip.

"Well, I think we can find something for you at the shop. Come on, we can't show up at Colette's house with two Lloyds." He said and led the way.

They walked into the shop together and Lara was surprised to find that it didn't carry just weapons and medical supplies. There were clothing racks and stands all over as well. She had no idea where to begin, but figured she might as well get started.

After several minutes she found some items she liked enough to try on and disappeared into the dressing room. It was more makeshift than the kind you'd find at a mall, but it worked. At least it had a curtain to hide from prying eyes anyway. That and she trusted Lloyd and Genis to keep peeping toms away.

When she stepped out she was wearing a deep cherry pink corset over a loose white top that had no sleeves. A pair of black tights tucked into a pair of boots, the same deep cherry pink as the corset. A long, dark crimson, half-skirt tied around her waist, hanging mostly over her right leg. A crimson bracer-gauntlet on her left arm layered over a pair of fingerless white gloves, but underneath loose black sleeves. Her Exsphere was still attached to her left hand as well, but she'd hidden it under the white glove for now. And the outfit was completed with a black choker necklace with a silver buckle on it.

"So, uh... how do I look?" She asked and spun around to give the full effect. When she stopped, the stunned looks on both their faces said more than enough to her. Lara smiled. "I like it, in any case." She said without waiting further for an answer.

Lloyd smiled. "That's pretty cool. Hold on." He walked over to the shop owner and talked to him for a bit. Lloyd looked back over at her. "Are you gonna keep those swords you have?" He asked.

Lara looked at the scabbards she was carrying in her arms with the rest of her somewhat discarded clothing and frowned. She wasn't sure if she wanted to just toss them or keep them to use herself. "I'm not much of a sword fighter. I'm usually more comfortable using a bow and arrow, or just fighting with my hands and feet." She answered. She'd had some martial arts lessons and hadn't been bad at them, but had to stop when her teacher fell ill.

"Oh, well that's cool too. I mean, do you want to switch to using a bow?" He asked.

Lara looked around and thought about it. "I think I might as well. I don't want to fight in a way I'm not used to." She said and walked over. "Why are you asking?"

Lloyd flushed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'm buying this stuff for you, so I was hoping you'd let me have those swords. All I have are these flimsy wooden ones to practice with." He said.

Lara laughed then and nodded. "Yeah, alright. I'll use a bow and arrows from now on, and in payment for you helping me out like this, I'll let you have these swords." She said.

"Really?" Lloyd's face lit up at the prospect of getting brand new swords. He turned back to the shop owner and paid him the Gald necessary for all the items.

A moment later the owner turned to behind the counter and took out a long case inside which held the most beautiful ivory bow. He handed it to Lara and even passed her a quiver full of arrows. Lara counted them and was surprised to find she had fifty of them to start with and she smiled.

"Wow, thanks." She said.

The shop keeper smiled. "We don't get many folk here who use this kind of weapon so I'm happy to be able to sell it."

With all the shop stuff taken care of, they left and began heading over to Colette's house when Lara stopped them again.

"What's the matter now?" Genis asked.

Lara frowned as she looked at him. "What will everyone think when I walk in there with you?" She asked. "We need a story for how you guys met me." She said. "Okay, you two just got back to the village when I ran into you. I've been looking all over to find Lloyd because I believed he was my long lost twin brother..."

"No one is going to believe that..." Genis said but she held up her hand and looked at him seriously. Genis paused. "Okay, maybe they will..."

"In the excitement after, you guys gave me a quick tour so I'd know my way around next time. And then you thought it would be cool if you brought me along. How's that?" She asked.

Lloyd smiled. "I don't see a problem with it."

"Of course _you_ don't, Lloyd." Genis said. "It's a good thing you look almost identical to Lloyd, otherwise no one would believe that story."

"But it's true, actually. Lara and me each have half of the same Exsphere." Lloyd said.

Genis looked at him. "But that doesn't mean you're related!" He exclaimed rather hotly.

"I was adopted." Lara said shortly and they both shut up and looked at her. "My parents don't know that I know it, but I look nothing like them. How could I be biologically related to them? Besides, I once overheard my parents talking about this stone." She said. "When I was found at the orphanage, I was only just a baby, but I was holding onto this stone tightly and wouldn't give it up. I overheard them saying it was the only clue to my past. There weren't even any medical records of my birth. Like I just showed up out of nowhere one day."

Genis frowned as the new information began to go through his mind. "Okay, so that leaves some small possibility..." He sighed. "We'll go with your story anyway, but I hope you can find more concrete proof." He said.

Lara smiled and nodded at him. "I'll try to find something later. For now, let's get going. I don't want to be too late getting to Colette's house." She said.

Both Lloyd and Genis nodded at her suggestion and began heading for the Chosen's house in the corner of the village. When they got there, it didn't look as though anything had happened in the time passed. They walked inside and everyone looked up from the table, and as expected, people did ask who Lara was. The first person to ask was, of course, Raine, who was actually sitting here at the meeting instead of inspecting the Martel Temple like she usually did in the game.

When asked, Lara told her story and was backed up by Lloyd and Genis about the unfolding of events. She smiled at Lloyd and he smiled back at her. "When I first heard I even had a brother, I couldn't believe it at first either. I'm sure my guardian is worried about me for running away, but I just _had_ to meet my brother." She said.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see the look on Kratos' face. She wasn't sure if it was because he couldn't believe the story, or if it was something else. She didn't bother to look directly at him for fear the look on his face would change. No one was paying him any mind but she could see that it looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"Wow! So you're Lloyd's sister!" Colette said happily, rising from the table. "That's wonderful news!" She said clasping her hands together.

After a few more little explanations the excitement settled down and they began discussing the World Regeneration journey. Much to the heated protests of Lloyd and Genis, everyone else in the room forbid them from going on the journey. Lara didn't have the same restrictions since she was clearly not from Iselia.

"Well, I can help out with the journey. At least, until I get back to my hometown. That won't be a problem, right?" She asked.

The mayor frowned and shook his head. "No, I don't like the idea of sending a child we barely know on this journey." He said.

"But she's Lloyd's sister. I'm sure she's trustworthy." Colette said with childish optimism.

Lara shrugged. "Even if I don't go with them, I'll have to make my way home eventually anyway. And if I do that later then I'll be on my own. It'd be safer if I travel with an escort, plus I can help a little on the way. I don't see where the harm in that is." She said.

When she looked around, she noticed Kratos staring at her again, but in a different way this time. She had a feeling he knew that the Lloyd from the temple earlier wasn't the Lloyd sitting at the table now. For now she ignored the feeling and looked around at the mostly thoughtful faces.

"Alright, I suppose it would be better for you to help. But only so you have an escort home." The mayor finally said.

Lara smiled and nodded. "Thank you. I greatly appreciate it."

"But won't you miss Lloyd? He is your brother!" Genis protested.

Lara looked at the table sadly and took a deep breath. "Of course I will. I'm only going home so I can talk to my guardian. Maybe with some convincing I'll be able to come back here and visit him again. And this time without running away." She said and looked over at Lloyd who smiled at her. "I hope you don't take any offense to it, Lloyd."

"No, it's alright." He replied. "I think I understand. Dad would be furious with me if I ran off like that too." He said.

Lara smiled as brightly as she could manage. "I'm so glad you understand. I promise to come back as soon as I can manage." She said and Lloyd nodded in response.

"Very well, so the ones going on this journey will be Raine, Kratos and Lara to accompany Colette the Chosen." The mayor said with finality, settling the matter at hand.

Kratos didn't look particularly please with the idea, but didn't say anything and tried to look like none of the details mattered to him. He was very good at that, acting like nothing was wrong and hiding his true feelings and thoughts. That was something Lara had to admit at least and she smiled until Lloyd and Genis began to leave and Colette followed them outside.

"I'll need to pack some things as well." Raine said as she stood from the table.

Lara stood up and stretched her limbs as well and smiled. "I could use some fresh air." She said before walking outside at the conclusion of the three friend's chat. Colette turned towards the door, smiled at Lara and then walked back inside.

"Are you guys heading home?" Lara asked.

"Yeah." Was all Lloyd said as Genis shuffled his feet.

"Mind if I come with you? I want to see where you live at least once before I head back myself." She said, knowing full well that they would likely run to the human ranch before going to Lloyd's house.

Lloyd's spirits seemed to lift a little at that. "You want to see where I live? Yeah, you can tag along. Colette said she would come by later to let me know what time you guys are leaving tomorrow." He said. "So you can go back to Colette's house with her after she comes."

Lara clapped her hands. "That works out perfectly!" She exclaimed just as happily. "So, shall we?"

Lloyd nodded and they started walking together until Genis asked to stop by his house for something. When he came back with food ingredients necessary for making sandwiches, Lara smiled slightly. Then they continued on to the edge of town and met Noishe, who Lara knew was looking for Kratos and not for Lloyd, and moved on. The forest wasn't far from the village, and it was also partly a hill path anyway, so they began by walking up the hills.

When they were about halfway to Lloyd's house, Genis turned off to the side, headed towards the Human ranch and Lloyd stopped him. Lloyd offered to go with him to the ranch and Lara tried to think about whether she wanted to help or not. On one hand she wanted to stay out of this so she wouldn't have to deal with the Desians, but on the other hand, she wanted to meet Marble and help them.

"I must be out of my mind." She said aloud and then nodded her decision. "I'm coming with you as well." She said and followed Genis along to the side of the ranch where he usually met with the old woman.

They waited for just over a minute before the old woman made an appearance, smiling over at them. "Genis, you came to see me again." She said happily, walking right over to the wall.

"Yeah, of course I did. These are my friends, Lloyd and Lara. Guys, this is Marble." He said. "I've been coming to see her every day after school, so please don't tell Raine. She'd be furious and I'd never hear the end of it."

"Your secret is safe with me, Genis." Lara said with a smile.

"Yeah, I won't tell either." Lloyd added. "Anyway, this is where you've been coming. I thought you were sneaking your food to a stray dog outside the village somewhere." He said, scratching the back of his head.

"It's nice to meet you, Marble." Lara said, receiving another warm smile from the old woman.

"It's nice to meet all of you as well." Marble said kindly.

"Hey! You! What's going on over there!" A voice called out from the distance.

"You kids should hide. Can't have you getting in trouble." Marble said, not unkindly.

"No, we can't just leave you here!" Lloyd said defiantly.

Lara grabbed his arm. "Lloyd, come on. We need to hide for now. We might be able to help after, but not before." She said and pulled him away behind a large bush. Genis followed silently looking extremely concerned about what would happen to his old friend.

"You, get back to the yard and get working!" The desian's voice yelled at Marble.

"I'm sorry, these old bones of mine aren't made for all this hard work." She said being somewhat sarcastic.

"Oh, is that so? Then I guess I'll have to teach you a lesson!" The desian said angrily. "Come with me, Human." He said, somehow managing to make the word '_human_' sound like '_disgusting worthless scum_'.

They could hear Marble being walked away from the area. Lloyd wanted to rush to the front to try and help her but Lara held him back at first in case they weren't quite out of the area yet. When she peeked around the bush she could see that they were gone and the three of them snuck around to the front where the small cliff area by the front gates sat waiting.

Lloyd rushed over and climbed up them easily while Lara stayed back to help Genis up before climbing the little cliff edges herself. When she and Genis finally reached the top they looked over the wall of the ranch and watched as the Desian brought her out front and began to beat her. Other Desians merely came around to watch, many of them laughing, and the other prisoners looked at the ground while others watched in horror. No one was doing anything about it.

"We have to do something." Lloyd said.

"But what?" Genis asked as the two tried to think of a plan.

Lara didn't bother thinking and instead pulled her bow off her back and notched an arrow to the string as both boys looked at her.

"Lara, what are you doing?" Genis asked.

She smiled. "I have a plan. Lloyd, you'll act as the decoy by standing up and getting them to notice you after the attack. Genis, I want you to cast a fireball spell. I'll loose my arrow at the same time as the spell." She said.

"What about the Desians? They're bound to notice us up on this cliff afterwards." Genis said.

"Not if we climb down and hide behind those bushes at the bottom. We'll wait there until everything is clear and then we'll go." She answered.

"That'll never work!" Genis said shaking his head.

"Actually, sounds pretty good to me." Lloyd replied.

"Of course you would say that, Lloyd." Genis sighed. "Alright. I'll start casting, Lloyd, you get ready." He said and pulled out his kendama as he started to cast.

Lara drew back on the string with her right hand and aimed her arrow carefully with the left, keeping the Desian in her sight. Anger filled her at the cruel treatment of Marble and she felt a sudden surging of power through her body. It was focusing into the arrow she had notched to the bow. She kept a close eye on Genis and released just as he finished casting, the power surging through her.

"Fiery Laser!" She shouted. Genis' Fire Ball spell connected with her arrow, causing it to burst into flames as it flew towards the target. The trail of light it left behind made it look like a red laser and she stared wide-eyed at it.

The Desian she had targeted was hit by the flaming arrow and his uniform burst into flames. He ran around frantically trying to get the fire to go out while the other Desians tried to figure out where the attack had come from. The arrow had mostly burned up.

Lloyd stood up from the cliff and jumped over to the wall and ran along it, catching their attention. Taking that as a cue to get moving quickly, Lara grabbed Genis' arm and pulled him along. Together they made it to the bottom of the cliff without incident and she pulled Genis to the ground. "Stay down." She whispered and he nodded, looking too frightened to move.

"Open the gates! Quickly!" Some Desian yelled from beyond the gate and it slowly opened. Lloyd was getting ready to jump down the large cliff when Genis let out a soft gasp.

"What was that?" One voice asked. "It came from over there."

Lara cursed inwardly and bumped Genis' shoulder lightly as Lloyd ran back to stop the Desians from discovering his friends. There were sounds of battle for a little bit and Lara chanced to look through the bush. Lloyd was actually struggling a little and she sighed. "Genis, stay here and don't move until there are no sounds out here but your own breathing." She whispered and watched him nod.

"Argh!" Lloyd cried out as he parried an attack from one of the three Desians facing him.

Suddenly an arrow rushed past both their faces and they pulled apart, looking for the source. Lara was standing a few feet away, already aiming another arrow at the Desian. One of them in the background docked a bolt on their crossbow and Lara turned to aim at him and released the arrow before he could shoot. The Desian in question yelped in pain as the arrow pierced his neck. Lara bit her lip slightly.

Lloyd started fighting the Desian in front of him again. "Demon Fang!" He cried out, sending the blue shockwave along the ground and getting his opponent off balance as they tried to dodge the attack.

The last Desian was trying to do something sneaky, she could tell and Lara quickly notched another arrow to her bow and pulled back, feeling the strange energy filling her again. "Trust Arrow!" She called out, shooting one last time. The arrow became engulfed in a soft white light and pierced through the Desian, leaving a fist sized hole in his stomach. He fell to the ground, blood pooling around him. Lara had to look away until Lloyd ran over and grabbed her arm.

"Come on, we gotta get out of here." He said and ran over to the cliff.

Lara paused at the dizzying height and shook her head. "I can't jump that." She said.

Lloyd looked at her. "It'll be okay, the Expshere will help you do it." He replied before jumping down himself.

Lara hesitated but knew the Desians were coming, so she closed her eyes and jumped. The nearest Desian just missed grabbing her by a fraction of a second and she plunged down the cliff. She opened her eyes after a while and had to suppress a scream. When the ground got close she bent her knees slightly to help with the impact.

Landing on the ground wasn't as hard as she thought, but the impact of falling from such a high distance did jar the bones in her body a little. Lara collapsed slightly on the cliff edge and looked down, there were still a couple smaller cliffs to go down, but she wanted to recover a little first. Lloyd hadn't jumped down any further either and walked over to her.

"You okay?" He asked, offering a hand to help her back up.

Lara nodded, a blank look on her face as she accepted his help and stood back on her feet. "That was quite a rush." She said after a moment.

Lloyd's face broke into a smile. "Told you you could do it." He said.

"Yeah, I guess you did." She replied. "Anyway, let's wait for Genis, I told him to wait until the coast was clear before heading back this way."

Lloyd nodded and sat down on the edge of the cliff they were on. "You were pretty amazing back there." He said.

Lara blushed at the compliment. "Th-thanks."

"Oh look! There's Genis!" Lloyd said and jumped down to the bottom of the last cliff.

Lara joined them down there shortly after that, a small smile on her face. "You alright, Genis?" She asked.

He nodded slowly, probably still trying to get over the shock of how they had attacked the Desians. "Y-yeah. I'm gonna head home now, though." He said with a sigh.

"Alright, see you later, Genis." Lloyd said waving to his friend as the young half-elf walked off.

"So, we headed to your house now?" Lara asked, looking over at him when Genis was gone.

Lloyd smiled brightly. "Yeah. I can't wait for you to meet my Dad. I should ask him to make a Key Crest for you." He said. "Anyway, it's only a few minutes through the forest once we get back to the top of the hill."

"Cool, so let's go." She said and followed Lloyd back up the hill.

Once they were in the more forested area, they had to fight more monsters. Lara missed a couple shots here and there, still a bit out of practice, but Lloyd kept the monsters from getting too close to her. But they eventually made it to Lloyd's house without too much difficulty.

"Hey Dad! I'm home!" Lloyd yelled out as they crossed the log bridge.

Lara looked around a bit, taking it all in with a smile. The door of the small wooden cottage opened with a slam and Dirk walked out to see them. He paused in his steps and stared at Lara, lookng like he'd seen a ghost. Kratos had that look when he first saw her too. Why was she getting that reaction?

"Lloyd, who is..." Dirk choked on his words, unable to ask further.

Lloyd looked at Lara and then scratched the back of his head. "This is Lara. She's umm... I only met her today." He said and walked over, motioning for Lara to follow, which she did. "She has the same Exsphere as I do." He added.

Dirk seemed to come out of his stupor for a moment and looked at her. "Let me see it." He said.

Lara nodded and removed the white glove covering the blue Exsphere on her left hand. "Here." She held out her hand to let the dwarf look at it.

Dirk seemed to look at it for a long time before he pulled away. "That is definitely the same Exsphere. Though I'm not sure how it split into two pieces in the first place." He sighed. "You'll need a Key Crest for that, I assume?"

"Yeah. I hope it's not too much trouble." Lara said looking at the ground as she rubbed her arm nervously.

"Nah. I'd be more than happy to do it for you. Still can't believe you look so much like her..." He muttered as he began walking back into the house.

"So much like who?" Lloyd asked, and Lara was wondering the same thing.

"Like your mother, Lloyd. I can see the resemblance between you both as well." Dirk said with a smile before walking into the house.

Lloyd was quiet for a bit, and Lara wasn't sure what to say to that either. She looked like Anna? Well that would explain why Kratos had stared at her that way. It was just one more thing making her more sure that she was related to Lloyd.

"This is too weird." Lara said as she sank to her knees. It was strange enough gettting pulled into this world, but to be Lloyd's sister and look almost identical to his mother, Anna. The evidence was alarmingly clear, but it made no sense. How in the world had she been separated from her family? And to be raised in a completely different world. Something really strange was going on, and she couldn't wrap her head around it no matter how much everything else made sense.

"Lara! Are you okay?" Lloyd asked, looking surprised and concerned.

She nodded slowly and looked up at him. "I'm just... trying to understand. It seems like... we really are related." She said. "I've never had a brother."

Lloyd knelt down next to her. "It's okay. I'm kinda shocked myself. I mean, I think it's really cool at the same time, but..." He paused as if unsure what else to say.

Lara smiled. "Thanks, Lloyd. I'll be alright, just let me think for a bit." She said.

"Oh, okay. Umm, you can see Mom's grave over there." He said.

Lara looked over where the grave was and nodded. "I'd like to be alone, you can go inside for right now if you want. I just need to think." Lloyd nodded and let her walk off on her own towards the grave. She stood in front of it for a while, mostly just staring blankly at it. The words blurred before her eyes as tears formed.

She didn't know how long she stood there, but it seemed like a really long time. Eventually she felt a light touch on her arm and she jumped a little at the suddenness of it. She hadn't even heard anyone walk up on her. Lara turned and looked at Lloyd.

"Dad's done making the Key Crest, and everyone else is here too." He said.

Lara smiled. "Okay, thanks for letting me be alone to think." She said and followed him back over to the house.

Kratos was leaning against a tree, trying not to look interested in anything around here, though he glanced at her momentarily when she walked over with Lloyd. And even when Dirk gave her the Key Crest.

"Thank you so much. I never even knew I needed a Key Crest for this stone." She said.

"It's alright. I'm just glad I could help." Dirk said.

"Lloyd, can we talk?" Colette asked.

Lloyd smiled. "Sure, let's go up to my balcony." He said and they walked into the house.

Lara watched them come out on the wooden balcony above, but didn't bother trying to listen to their conversation. She knew what was going to happen from here on out. Colette would lie to Lloyd about what time they would be leaving tomorrow to try and protect him.

"So, Lara. How skilled are you with that bow?" Raine asked.

Lara looked over at her and then glanced at her bow strapped over her back. "Oh. I took archery lessons for a few years when I turned ten. And I had self defense training starting from age twelve." She said.

"Self defense training?" Raine asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.

Lara bit her lip trying to think of a way to explain it. They wouldn't know too much about martial arts here. "Yeah, it's a special form of hand-to-hand fighting used mostly for self defense." She explained.

Kratos glanced over at her and she did her best not to look directly at him. His expression was calm, serious, but she could imagine that he was thinking more than he was showing. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, and she found herself wondering about that.

"I see. Sounds like you will at least be helpful on the journey." Raine said after a moment.

"Yeah, I hope to be." Lara smiled. She wondered if they would also run into Eva or the twins as they travelled. She hoped that they would be reunited at some point at least. Even if she only found her friend Eva. The twins she hoped were lost together and not separated. They could at least take care of themselves without much hassle.

"Lara, are you alright?" Genis asked, drawing her from her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I was just thinking, that's all." She replied, hoping he wouldn't ask further.

"Okay." Was all Genis said in reply.

She smiled at him. "It's nothing to worry about." Lara said. She wanted to thank him for not asking, but didn't want to give away that she'd been thinking too much.

A little while later, Colette came back out of the house. "Okay, I've told Lloyd, so we can head back to Iselia now." She said with a smile.

"Alright, we should head back before it gets too late, then." Raine said.

As they left Lloyd's house behind, Lara glanced over at Colette and she looked like she felt guilty for lying to her friend. Lara wasn't going to go tell Lloyd the truth, but she felt for Colette. She sighed as she tried to think about what tomorrow would be like, but she couldn't imagine it.

"I have nowhere to stay for tonight." Lara said after they got through the forest and the village came into sight. The thought had only just dawned on her.

Colette looked over and smiled. "You can stay at my house tonight. We have a couple of guest rooms, Kratos will be staying there too, since the village doesn't have an Inn." She said.

Lara paused, unsure exactly what to say to that response, but she smiled. "Thanks, Colette. That's really nice of you." She said.

"Heh, it's no problem. I'm more than happy to help you out since you're Lloyd's sister." She replied happily.

"Well, thanks anyway." Lara said as they entered the village and their group split up. Raine and Genis headed for their home while Lara and Kratos followed Colette back to her house.

Tomorrow was going to be very strange. That was all that Lara could think of as she got ready to go to sleep.

* * *

**Okay, one of many plot twists has been revealed in this chapter. Yay!**

**And I know it may be a very cliched idea to give Lloyd a twin, but I don't care. I've been working on the development of my character Lara for a long time. So please don't flame me after this claiming she's a Mary Sue character. Besides, you haven't had the chance to get to know her character yet.**

**Also, before anyone asks, 'Fiery Laser' was meant to be a combined tech. Genis' Fire Ball tech and Lara's Aiming Laser tech when combined. So far I am going to be using the Ranger class techs from Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology. I might add some of Natalia's techs from Abyss as well, but not just yet.**

**Anyway, that's it for my after chapter disclaimer. I hope you liked this chapter. There are a lot more words in this one than I expected to write. o3o**


	5. The Oasis

**Okay, so I hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter. Sorry for the wait on this. I started working on a new chapter for my other Symphonia fic and wanted to focus on that before getting back to this one. Also, our new cat Mama Kitty gave birth to her kittens on the 11th, so this past week had some focus on her and the new additions. Also, I've been playing a lot of Pokemon Crystal since I got the battery in it replaced. Either way, a lot of distractions led to the wait on this new chapter and I am sorry about that. I am still going to try and update this story as regularly as possible. ^ ^**

**Oh, also, I'm sure many of you remember the other two characters from the first chapter, and if not, then start thinking. I realize I haven't pulled them into this fic in any of the new chapters yet, but that's because I have other plans for their appearance. It'll be a while before I get to them, so... bear with me. Anyway, here is the new chapter so... enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 5 - The Oasis**

It was really late at night. She wasn't sure exactly how she knew this, but her body knew she'd been sleeping long enough. Apart from that, she was certain she could sense the darkness outside. Slowly, Eva opened her eyes and looked around dazed at the strange room she was in. A moment later her vision and her thoughts cleared enough for her to remember where she was. She sighed and sat up to look around better.

Yuan hadn't come back into the room yet, at least as far as she could tell. Eva frowned and put her feet gently on the floor. She didn't know why she was hesitating, but she wasn't sure how she could face the Renegade leader looking the way she did. So she sat there for a while and tried to think about what to do next. She heard the door open and she took a deep breath before turning around where she was sitting to look.

Yuan paused to look at her for a moment, seeing that she was awake he crossed his arms over his chest. "So, you're finally awake." He said.

Eva sighed and nodded. "Yeah." It was all she could manage to say as the lump in her throat grew.

He sighed and she looked up at him to see the expression on his face. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but it was painfully obvious that whatever it was, it had to do with her appearance. Eva looked back down at the floor.

"Who are you?" He asked.

Eva looked up at the wall in front of her. "My name is Evangeline Valentine." She said after swallowing the lump in her throat. "But I prefer to be called Eva." She added as she glanced over at him.

His expression had changed a bit, like he wasn't in agony over the sight of her. Instead, he seemed to just be thinking. She wasn't sure what else to do and as much as she wanted to run away, he was standing in front of the only exit. Even if she tried, he would be able to grab her easily and then where would she be? Instead, she thought back to before she'd fallen asleep.

"You umm... you said you wanted answers from me." She said after a moment, unsure where she was going with this. "I don't understand a whole lot myself, but I will do my best."

Yuan looked at her for a moment after she finished speaking. With a sigh he turned to the door and touched the wall next to it. A sort of keypad appeared and he tapped a few keys, and only a moment later she heard something that sounded like a lock clicking into place. If she had felt nervous before, she was even more so now. Eventually, he turned back to look at her as he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Very well. Where are you from?" He asked. She realized he was avoiding the question of why she looked like Martel.

Eva took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm from... my home is very far away from here." She answered as honestly as she could manage without telling him she was from another world.

He seemed suspicious of her answer, for his eyes narrowed. "Just how far?" He asked now.

She lowered her gaze and stared at the floor, nervously wringing her hands. "I-I... can't tell you that." She said. She heard him sigh in frustration at her answer.

"Fine. How did you get to the Oasis, then?" He asked.

Eva looked up again, but avoided looking at him. "I'm... not sure exactly. I woke up in the flat land on the outskirts of the desert. I can't recall how I got there." She took a deep breath. "I wasn't sure where to go, so I picked a random direction and began walking into the desert and wound up at the Oasis." She finished. Most of it was true enough, except for the first part. She knew exactly how she'd come to this world, it was because of that strange man who had been talking to Lara at the party.

She looked over and saw Yuan looking away from her again, his eyes looked thoughtful. She bit her lip slightly and looked at the ground again. "I'm sorry. It's not very helpful, is it?" Eva wasn't sure why she was saying it, but she felt guilty that she hadn't told him the truth. She rarely lied about anything, but... how could she tell the truth and expect him to believe her? After all, the world she came from had no elves or half-elves and no magic. Not to mention that she had somehow become a half-elf in this world, so how could she explain that part? No, even though she hated it, it was better to lie right now, but she still felt guilty.

"No, you've given me plenty to think about for now." Yuan said, standing up from the edge of the bed. "Why don't you try and rest some more?"

Eva shook her head. "I'm not tired right now. If I were, I wouldn't have woken in the first place." She answered. She looked over at him and noticed he paused at that, as if unsure what to say next. "Is something wrong?" She asked, wringing her hands together again.

Yuan looked at her as if surprised by her concern and then took a deep breath as he closed his eyes to compose himself. A moment later he shook his head. "No. It's nothing." He said and turned toward the door. Before he punched in the code to unlock the door he looked back at her again. "Do you want to walk around? If you're not tired, you should at least have something to do." He added the last part like he felt the need to explain his question.

Eva looked at him in calm surprise, feeling her lips part slightly. "Th-that would be nice." She said slowly, afraid to stumble over the words.

Yuan nodded and punched in the code on the keypad before he replied. "You might want to follow me, then." He said.

She looked around the room a little bit and then nodded, rising to her feet to follow him. He walked through the door first and watched her as she stepped through as well. It was probably really late at night and she wondered if he had anything else to do or not. He couldn't be asking about this because she looked like Martel, right? No, it was more likely that he had little to do right now, even as the leader of the Renegades. He left most of the operation to Botta, who acted as the leader and made all the appearances while Yuan worked as a double agent.

"So... where to?" She asked.

Yuan didn't look at her as he led the way to the hall. "Nowhere specific, most of the rooms here are off-limits." He said.

Eva smiled slightly as she hurried to catch up and keep pace with him. He still made her nervous, but the thought of just walking around randomly through the base with him appealed to her. It wasn't because she liked him, no, he intimidated her more than that, even though she thought he was a good character. Besides, Lara had often made it very clear how much she liked Yuan.

"Just a random walk then?" She said, giving him a questioning look, though she didn't quite remove the smile from her face either.

Yuan looked at her and nodded. "If you get tired, let me know. We'll come back here so you can rest." He said, though she could hear in his tone that he was trying not to sound concerned.

She could understand why he was trying to distance himself. Since she looked like the woman he loved, it was painful for him, especially knowing that she was someone else. So although it was upsetting to hear him try to distance himself, she could understand, and she had no intentions of trying to make him fall for her. It would be all the worse if he did and she had to break his heart. Eva was worried about that possible scenario, it might be too much for him, but how was she to know? From her understanding of the game, she could guess at many things with him, but there were so many more things that she could never guess at.

In her musings, she forgot that he was waiting for her to respond and she flushed as he called her name. Eva stared at the ground until she could calm herself down and she looked up at him with a smile. "Sorry about that. I just get lost in my thoughts sometimes." She said.

Yuan held his hand out to her. "Shall we?"

Eva looked at his hand and then at his face. He had a calm expression that hid everything from her, his thoughts and emotions, she couldn't even begin to guess what was going on in his mind. She took a deep breath and smiled slightly. "Yes." She couldn't think of anything else to say as she accepted the offered hand.

* * *

Usually Lara was a very heavy sleeper and nothing could wake her up, but something about sleeping in a random bed in someone else's house made her extremely restless. Not only could she not fall asleep at first, but she kept waking up every half hour or so. With a sigh, she got out of bed and lightly crossed to the door. She peaked outside into the hall and very carefully made her way outside of the large house. No one else seemed to be awake, and as she stepped outside, she looked up at the stars and breathed in the fresh air.

"It's awfully late to be outside."

She jumped on the spot and instinct made her spin around with her arm raised and her hand clenched into a fist. Kratos caught her wrist easily and stared at her calmly. Lara paused and took a deep breath as she opened her fist. Either he was really good at sneaking around, or she was really bad at seeing where everyone else was. She let out her breath in a huff and pulled her hand away from his grasp, turning away from him in the same motion.

"I couldn't sleep." She answered.

He took a step forward and stood next to her, though he wasn't looking at her anymore. "Thinking about Lloyd?" He guessed.

Lara shook her head. "Not really. I mean, I am worried about him and leaving him behind while I set out for home, but... that's not it." She said.

"Then what is it?" She heard him ask and she chanced to look at him. Kratos was looking at her, but she couldn't place his expression, or the look in his eyes.

She frowned as she thought about the answer. "I guess it's just... I've never really been this far from home before. It feels strange sleeping in someone else's home. Don't get me wrong, Colette seems really nice and it was sweet of her to offer, but I still hardly know her." She said after a while. The last part was a bit of a lie. Lara knew about Colette and even understood her personality and her motivation, but it was true enough that she didn't know Colette well... personally.

Kratos looked away from her when she turned back to him. "I see." It was all he said.

Lara couldn't help but smile slightly at how aloof he was, but she also couldn't blame him. In one day he had discovered that his son was alive, and had been all this time. Added to that confusion was the appearance of a supposed long lost daughter he never knew about. As a member of Cruxis he couldn't afford to get emotionally attached to her, or to Lloyd once he ended up joining them. Plus he would likely need to hide the connection from Mithos later as well. She wondered what would happen if Kratos had the ability to read minds, the idea made her shudder. It wouldn't be a good thing if he could, then he would know she had come from another world and that she knew about what came next.

Instead, she just smiled and looked up at the starry sky. There were a few dark clouds passing by, but they weren't thick, so it was possible to see the stars through them. She didn't recognize any constellations here, but that made sense considering this was a completely different world. It didn't matter though, she was happy to stand here and watch the stars with Kratos, especially if it turned out she really was his daughter. So far, every piece of evidence was pointing towards a yes on that front.

"What are you smiling about?" Kratos asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

Lara glanced over at him and shook her head, still smiling. "Nothing, it's just... peaceful out here." She said. "I think I'll try going back to bed. We'll be leaving pretty early tomorrow, right?"

Kratos simply nodded once in reply and she sighed. "Good night, Kratos. You should try and get some sleep as well." She said before she walked back into the house, leaving him standing alone outside.

* * *

It was really early the next morning when Lara heard a soft knock on the door. She groaned and lifted her head to stare angrily at the door. "Get up. We're leaving in one hour." Kratos' voice spoke through the door.

Annoyed that she had been woken so early, she grabbed the pillow and tossed it at the door. There was a pause and then she heard footsteps walking away from the door. She imagined Kratos had tried glaring at her through the door but decided it was better to walk away. She couldn't contain the smile that broke out on her face as she sat up and stretched her limbs.

"Guess now is as good a time as any to get up." She said softly to herself. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and looked at her new boots, admiring them before pulling them onto her feet.

Lara glanced around the small room, barely paying attention to the simple wooden furniture. She stood up and grabbed her bow and the quiver full of arrows and went about putting them on. They would be leaving in an hour and she couldn't help but wonder just what time it was right now. It felt like she must have gotten seven hours of sleep at the very least. Right now it wasn't worth worrying about, so she checked her things and walked to the door.

When she walked into the main room she saw that Colette was awake now as well. She was sitting in a chair and staring at the table, looking like she still felt guilty about lying to Lloyd. Kratos was leaning his back against the wall and glanced over as Lara walked into the room. After a moment Colette looked up from the table and smiled warmly at her.

"Morning Lara!" Colette said happily.

Lara nodded her head. "Yeah, thanks. Good morning to you too." She said.

They were the only ones here right now, so she guessed that meant they were waiting for Raine. A few minutes after she thought about this, there was a knock on the front door.

"Come in!" Colette said.

Raine walked in through the door followed by a very tired looking Genis. She had probably dragged her brother out of bed to see them off. Either that or insisted he sleep, but Genis stubbornly followed her here anyway. Either way they were both here now and Kratos stepped away from the wall.

"Good morning, Colette. Lara, Kratos." Raine said, nodding to each of them in turn.

"We should leave immediately." Kratos said.

Genis yawned. "Shouldn't we wait for Lloyd? I know he wanted to see you guys off as well." He asked as he rubbed his eyes to try and wake up a little more.

Colette looked down at her feet as she stood there. Lara would have felt uncomfortable in her position as well, knowing she had lied. "He won't be coming." She said after a moment of silence.

"Huh? Why not?" Genis asked. "Lloyd wouldn't be rude enough to not see you off!"

Colette shifted her weight from one foot to the other and sighed. "I... I lied to him about our departure time. I told him we would be leaving at noon. He won't be coming." She said.

Genis stared at her incredulous, his mouth hung open in a wide O. "You... what? You lied to Lloyd? Why would you do that, Colette?" He asked.

"He wanted to come with us. I didn't want him to think that he had to... so I lied so he would stay here. I left a letter for him with my dad, so he can get it later when he comes." She said and then she looked at Genis. "Please don't go tell him, Genis. I want both of you to be safe."

Genis frowned and looked at the ground. "I... okay." He said softly.

Lara bit her lip as she watched the exchange, but she couldn't say anything about it, right? It wasn't her place to say anything and change the way things were supposed to be, right? She just had to sit back and watch and hope that by going on this journey with them she would be able to find her other friends.

There was a long silence and Lara looked around at everyone. Kratos didn't seem terribly surprised that Colette had lied to Lloyd to keep him safe, and was probably silently thanking her with his thoughts right now. Raine looked like she didn't appreciate that her student had lied to someone about something as important as this, but neither did it look like she was going to scold the younger girl. Genis just looked upset that he couldn't tell Lloyd.

"Well, we should head out then if we're not waiting for Lloyd." Raine said after the silence grew too long and awkward.

"Agreed." Kratos said simply.

Colette nodded her head sadly and all that was left was for Lara to say she agreed. Everyone looked at her and she felt her eye twitch slightly at the sudden attention.

"Don't look at me, I'm not the leader here. Whenever you want to head out is fine with me." She said looking away from them.

She heard Raine sigh and she looked back. "Alright, let's get going then." Raine said.

The five of them walked out of Colette's house and began heading for the edge of the village. From the position of the sun, Lara judged that it was around eight o'clock. That would give their group a four hour head start on Lloyd and Genis for later, that is unless Lloyd showed up to Colette's house a little early. It wasn't something she should be worried about, and yet she couldn't help but worry about him and what was going to happen to this village. She didn't belong here but it bothered her to walk away knowing what was going to happen.

As they neared the gate, the guards on watch became more alert and nodded to them all. Genis looked nervous and hugged his sister tightly. Lara watched as Raine ruffled his hair more than usual and smiled. "I'll be home before you know it, Genis. Just be good and don't ignore your studies. And I trust you'll keep Lloyd studying when you can as well." She said.

Genis pulled away reluctantly and smiled. "I'll keep studying, though I can't make any guarantees about Lloyd... but I'll try." He replied, tears in his eyes. "I just wish I could go with you."

Raine nodded solemnly. "I know, but our home is here, and I want you to be safe." She said. "So, be careful."

After that Colette walked over and hugged Genis as well, saying her own goodbyes. He smiled at her and told her it would be fine and that he hoped the journey was successful. After that, Lara stepped forward and hugged him as well, even though she hardly knew him on a personal level.

"Thanks for helping me at the start of all this." She whispered into his ear. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Genis smiled. "Yeah, but you were pretty good pretending to be Lloyd." He whispered back, understanding the need for secrecy.

When she pulled away she smiled. "Tell Lloyd I'll see him again soon." She said loud enough for the others to hear her. She suspected Kratos had heard the whispered conversation with Genis, but he wasn't saying anything. He probably didn't want to bring the topic to light and would probably confront her about it later if the two of them ended up alone at some point. That just gave her more reason not to let herself get caught alone with Kratos.

"Will do." Genis replied with a smile.

Kratos sighed and crossed his arms. "Are we good to go now?" He asked, sounding rather impatient to get started.

Lara smiled and nodded. "I'm good. Colette?" She asked, looking at the blonde teen.

Colette clasped her hands together and smiled. "Yeah, I'm excited to start the journey." She said happily.

"Then let's get moving." Kratos said, lowering his arms to his sides and walking to the exit.

Raine looked at her and Colette and nodded, and they all fell in step behind Kratos to leave. When Lara looked back, she could see Genis standing there, watching them leave. From here she could see the tears falling from his eyes and knew he was worried about his sister and his friend. The tears couldn't be for her since they hardly knew each other, but that was alright, she felt bad for him regardless.

She turned away and looked forward, determined not to look back again. Lara feared that if she did look back again, she would stay in Iselia to help Lloyd and Genis face down the Desians and Marble. No one spoke as they walked. Only an hour into their journey, she could feel the muscles in her legs burning. Lara was fit for her age and height, but even then she didn't usually walk this much, so she was already feeling tired. But seeing as the others were used to this and none of them looked tired, she was determined to keep moving and not complain.

An hour later she spotted a building in the distance and realized they were close to the House of Salvation in this area. It looked really small from here, but she knew it was likely bigger than it appeared. So when they made it to the little hamlet ten minutes later, she stared up towards the top of the building, unable to see the roof. Kratos and Raine were talking to the travelers here to get information, and shortly after that they bought canteens from the merchant standing on the road for when they crossed the desert. They had to fill them with water from the well pump, but once filled, they were ready to move on again.

It was already really warm and Lara's muscles were aching from all the exercise. She wasn't looking forward to crossing the desert, not only because it was going to be hotter, but because of the sand. From experience she knew that walking through loose, shifty sand took more effort than walking on solid ground. Most of that experience came from going to the beach, of course, but that didn't matter too much.

Half an hour later they came upon the edge of the desert and Lara was sweating as the wall of heat hit her. As she expected, this was not going to be fun. Colette was sweating a lot as well, but seemed determined not to let it show. No one said anything as they crossed from the firm ground to the loose sand of the desert.

By the time they reached the oasis, Lara had nearly passed out from heat stroke and exhaustion. At first she had just been tired but determined to keep moving, and the next thing she knew she was falling to her knees. She was certain her face was redder than it should be. Colette also looked really red, but was faring better than her. Kratos had then walked over and removed his cape before picking her up bridal style and covered her with the cape. Once at the oasis, they walked to the Inn, although Lara didn't walk since Kratos was still carrying her and paid for a couple of rooms. There, Kratos had put her down on a bed in one of the rooms.

"Well, we still need to figure out where the first seal is." Raine said as they tried to figure out what to do next now that they were here.

"I don't feel comfortable letting you and the Chosen walk around on your own." Kratos said, glancing over at Lara.

Lara felt uncomfortable under his gaze, and looked away from them as she lay on the bed. She felt that Kratos didn't want to leave her alone while she needed rest. They had started discussing what to do and neither Raine nor Kratos wanted to leave Lara here alone. And they both didn't really trust the other to protect Colette on their own either. It left for a nasty situation.

"One of us has to stay here and look after Lara." Raine said, though it was clear from her tone she thought it would be better for Kratos to take on that responsibility.

Kratos sighed. "I don't disagree, but there is nothing I can do for her in the way of healing. As for the Chosen, she would be safer with me." He replied.

They were both quiet for a while and Colette looked at the ground, unsure if she should speak up or stay out of the argument. Lara could see she was nervous about how the two adults weren't getting along too well.

"I have a solution for you." Lara said after a moment of staring at the ceiling. Everyone looked at her, but she didn't look at them as she closed her eyes. "You can both go gather information. Either take Colette with you or leave her here. As long as we don't leave the room and no one knows we're here, it should be safe enough."

There was a stunned silence for a little while as Lara tore her gaze from the ceiling to look at the others. Kratos and Raine both had disbelieving looks on their faces and Colette had a confused expression. Lara waited for someone to answer, but when no one did, she forced herself into a sitting position despite how tired she was.

"Look, I can handle myself, and if I need to rest I can lock the door so no one can just walk in. There's no need to worry about me." She said and looked at them.

Raine sighed and lifted her hand to her chin in thought. "That's... are you sure you'll be alright?" Raine asked.

Lara smiled. "Yeah. I just need to rest. You guys go take care of what needs to be done and come back later." She said.

Raine nodded and then looked at Kratos who stared at Lara for a minute before he gave in as well. "Fine, but we're taking the Chosen with us. I'm not taking any chances." He said.

"Sounds fine to me." Raine agreed.

Kratos put his cape back on before the three of them left. Lara heard the lock clicking into place and sighed, closing her eyes.

* * *

She wasn't sure how long she rested, but when she woke up she was still alone. Lara yawned and looked around before sitting up. She felt a lot better than before she'd fallen asleep. With a stretch and a sigh, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Her legs were a little weak from all the walking, but she was able to stand under her own power and she didn't feel like she was going to pass out at any moment.

Lara glanced at the door and realized it was probably still locked, so if she wanted to go outside she would have to find another way out. After all, Raine hadn't left her a key to use to unlock the door in case she woke up before they left. Sure it was a bad idea to go outside on her own, but she didn't want to be cooped up in here waiting for them to return.

Lara walked over to the window and checked to make sure she had her bow and arrows before she climbed outside. The roof slanted slightly so she was able to walk to the edge and check the distance to the ground. It was close enough that she felt comfortable jumping. She landed lightly on her feet and walked down into the market district of Triet.

"So we're supposed to look around here for the Chosen?" A voice said from not too far away.

"Yeah, but I doubt they'd be stupid enough to stay in the oasis for very long. So we don't need to search too hard. Mostly we have to find that Lloyd kid." Another voice answered.

Lara paused and looked for the source and found the two Renegades talking to one another. Her right eye twitched as she looked for a place to hide, but that would be suspicious. Instead, she pretended to be looking at the merchandise in the stalls while inching closer.

"What does this kid look like again?" The first one asked.

"Lord Botta mentioned he had spiky brown hair and brown eyes." The second one answered. "Kinda like that girl's hair color over there."

Lara tensed, realizing they had spotted her, but she tried to look like she didn't notice them. "Maybe she's seen the Chosen's group." The first said. "We should ask her."

Lara bit her lip for a moment as she heard footsteps approaching, and when a finger tapped her shoulder, she turned around, looking confused. "Can I help you?" She asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Yeah, we're looking for a kid named Lloyd. We believe he'll be travelling with the Chosen of Mana. He has spiky brown hair and brown eyes. Oh, and he's wearing a weird red outfit." The renegade said to her. "Have you seen anyone by that description?"

Lara pursed her lips and lifted her hand to her chin the way Raine had earlier. "Hmm... dressed in a weird red outfit." She said thoughtfully. "I wouldn't call it weird. It looked good on him." She added. It was a lie, since Lloyd wasn't actually travelling with them right now, but she wanted to see where this would go.

It was a bad idea to mess with the renegades, but this was a good chance for her to try and find Eva. With any luck she would find her at the Renegade base and they could travel on the journey together. She wasn't disappointed by the reaction from the two renegades, either.

"R-really?! You saw him? Where did he go?!" The second one exclaimed loudly.

Lara frowned. "I don't think I should tell you that. He's travelling with the Chosen right? What do you want with him?" She asked.

"That's none of your business, girl." The first one answered.

Lara narrowed her eyes at his response. "Excuse me? Girl?!" She shouted. "I don't like you're attitude!" She crossed her arms with a huff and turned her nose up at them.

"That's it! You're coming with us!" The second one cried out.

When he reached out to grab her, Lara pulled away and drew her arm back before punching him as hard as she could manage. The other renegade grabbed onto her and she struggled. The second renegade recovered and slapped her across the face and turned to the growing crowd.

"There's nothing to see here! Get out of the way!" He shouted.

Lara felt the stinging pain from the slap and smirked slightly at how well her plan was going. She stopped bothering to struggle now and let the renegades lead her from the oasis. Now all she had to do was let them take her to the base and she could try looking for her friend there.

Less than an hour later, the renegades reached the base and Lara kept her gaze on the ground like she was ashamed of being captured. After a moment of processing and talking to the guards, they were let inside. When they started heading for what she knew was the prison area, she decided to act again.

Lara elbowed the renegade holding her in the gut and when he let go she took off sprinting down the hall. She heard the other one shouting at her, but she didn't listen and she didn't stop as she looked for a place to hide. If she could do that then she might get a chance to sneak around later. So far she hadn't found any rooms or doors in the halls and she took a corner a bit too fast. Without being able to see, she ran into someone who immediately grabbed onto her arms with a strong grip. She screamed and tried to break free, but whoever it was was really strong.

She looked up to glare at the person holding her and felt her heart skip a beat as she found herself staring at Yuan. Her mouth fell open as she lost any and all swears she'd been about to shout out. He was looking at her in an odd way, probably trying to figure out where she had come from. Lara quickly tore her gaze away from his face, feeling her cheeks grow hot. She knew he would see her blushing, but she couldn't get away from him.

"Lara?" A voice asked in a soft, scared tone.

Her eyes opened wide and she struggled to see past Yuan, who, without releasing her, turned slightly so she could see better. There in front of her was Eva, who... looked exactly like Martel. Except her facial features were still mostly that of her friend, the hair looked too real to be a wig anymore.

"Eva." Lara said just as softly, surprised she had found her so soon.

She felt Yuan's gaze shift between her and Eva and struggled to get away from him again. He kept a firm grip on her arms though. "Eva, you know this girl?" He asked, sounding suspicious.

Eva shifted her weight from one foot to the other and looked at the floor. "Y-yes. She's my best friend." She said softly.

Apparently that was enough for Yuan to let her go. Lara ran over to her friend as soon as she was free and hugged her. Eva was just as delighted to see that her friend was alright. When they broke apart Lara saw the look Eva was giving her and she realized it was because she wasn't dressed like Lloyd anymore.

"Lara, where..?" Eva began and then shook her head. "You look amazing." She said.

Lara smiled. "Thanks. I'm just glad to see you're alright." She replied.

"Same here." Eva smiled.

A sigh interrupted them and Lara turned to look at Yuan, who was watching them with a guarded look. Lara felt uncomfortable again, but this time for completely different reasons. She was standing in the presence of the one character in this world she had a huge crush on. Lara nervously rubbed her arm and something caught Yuan's eye because he walked over to her quickly and grabbed her arm again.

"Ah!" Lara gasped as he grabbed her arm and lifted the black sleeve. The light glinted off the metal key crest bracelet Dirk had given to her. Since the Exsphere had already adhered to her skin, it would have been risky to remove it and he didn't have time to shape a Key Crest to fit around the gem. Her cosplay Key Crest was a fake so once she'd gotten the new one, she'd removed and tossed it.

Yuan stared at it intently and then looked at her face and Lara felt her cheeks flush. His gaze shifted to her left arm which she was attempting to put behind her back. She let out another gasp as he grabbed that arm and pulled off the white fingerless glove to reveal the blue gem. Lara looked away from him as his eyes widened and she noticed that Eva was also staring at the gem oddly. It was painfully clear that the gem was embedded in her skin.

She felt a tug on her arm and suddenly found herself standing awkwardly close to the man she had a crush on. Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red against her will and she tried not to stare at his chest. "Where did you get this?" He demanded.

Lara tried to pull her arm away and push herself from him, but his grip was stronger than she expected. She didn't want to answer, but felt that he wasn't going to let her go until she gave him one. She sighed. "I've had it for as long as I can remember." She said, looking down at the ground and trying to ignore how close she was to him. She was fairly certain he could tell how uncomfortable this was for her.

As abruptly as he'd grabbed her, he let her go and she stumbled back a step. Eva placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and Lara turned her head to smile at her friend. When she looked back she saw Yuan looking her over more closely and she took in a deep breath to try and calm her nerves. She needed to stop blushing and freaking out over everything he did.

"Yes. There is a resemblance." He said to himself after a moment. "Eva, would you mind escorting your friend? There is something I need to check."

Lara was sure that he meant he was going to look into the possibility of her being Kratos' daughter. She hoped that he wouldn't actually get any information on that front until after she managed to escape with Eva.

* * *

Eva had been so surprised when Lara had run around the corner, but now everything made even less sense than before. Yuan asked her to escort Lara, and she knew that meant to the room he'd been keeping her in. Not that she was confined to it completely, but he had the renegades keeping a close eye on her so she wouldn't escape from the base. She sighed and nodded. "Sure." She answered.

Yuan wordlessly handed the white glove to Lara before he turned away from them and walked off down the hall. Eva sighed when he was out of sight and tapped Lara on the shoulder. "Come on, let's go wait." She said.

Lara seemed hesitant to follow. "Why haven't you tried getting out of here yet?" She asked.

Eva lowered her gaze to the floor. "He has the renegades watching me. Every time I seem to think about escape there is someone there to stop me." She answered honestly. "I wanted to get out of here to try and look for you, but... I haven't been able to."

Lara nodded absently. "I see." Her voice sounded void of emotion.

She looked her friend over and wondered what she had been through since coming to this world. "Come on." She said gently and touched her friend on the shoulder.

Lara's expression had gone blank since Yuan had walked off and she wondered why. Her mind seemed to be on autopilot, so she herded her friend back down the halls and back to the office Yuan used. Without a word, she led her friend into the room beyond it and sat her down on the bed before looking her over again. When Lara still seemed unlikely to respond, she snapped her fingers and Lara's gaze flickered from her shoes to her face.

Eva smiled warmly. "Oh good, you had me worried for a minute." She said. "Are you okay, Lara?" She asked.

Lara sighed and clasped her hands on either side of her head. "No, not really." She answered.

"Want to talk about it?" Eva asked, taking a seat next to her friend. "We've got plenty of time."

Lara smiled slightly and then her expression went serious again. "Yeah, why not?" She asked. After which she launched into a story about what had happened to her since coming to this world.

Eva listened intently and nodded here and there. She wasn't sure if all her reactions were what her friend was looking for, but Lara seemed content to just talk about it. When she got to the part about learning she was Lloyd's sister, Eva stood up in shock.

"Wait, what?" She asked.

Lara looked up at her. "Just as I said. Even Dirk said I looked just like Anna. That and I remembered my parents talking about my Exsphere. I've had it ever since I was found by the orphanage. It was my only link to the past." She said and shook her head.

Eva was dumbstruck and had no idea how to respond to that. If Yuan found out, he would no doubt try to keep Lara here like he'd keep her here, but for different reasons. She bit her lip and tried to think of something to say, but all the clues made sense and fell into place properly. There was really just one detail that didn't make sense, how Lara had come to live in their world to begin with. Had someone sent her away from this world? And if so, for what reason? To protect her or just to change the course of history? She was so busy listening to her friend and thinking of the possibilities she hadn't heard the door slide open.

"That's all I needed to hear." Yuan's voice spoke up from the door.

Eva turned her head in his direction and saw him staring at Lara. He didn't look angry or anything, but it was obvious he wasn't going to let either of them out of the room, let alone out of his sight. She looked at the floor and sat back down next to her friend, grabbing her hand. Lara seemed glad to have the support, though she wasn't looking at her, and was staring at Yuan.

"Why is my family important to you?" Lara asked. She had tried to sound angry, but only succeeded in sounding defeated.

"That's my business." Yuan replied testily. "Now all I need is to get my hands on Lloyd. Until then, neither of you will be leaving this room." He said.

Lara's eyes narrowed for a moment, but even with the threat on her long lost brother, she couldn't seem to stay mad at Yuan. She hung her head and didn't look up when Eva stood up.

"Yuan, what is this about?" Eva asked in a gentle tone. "Lara is my friend. I don't want to see her get hurt." She said.

Yuan looked at her and his expression softened a little. "I can't tell you what this is about. But I can assure you I have no intention of harming your friend." He said. Of course, both Eva and Lara heard the unspoken words hanging in the air. '_For now._'

Eva sighed and nodded as she sat back down next to Lara. Yuan watched them both for a moment before he turned and walked out of the room. She couldn't tell what he was doing after the door closed, but when she heard the sound of a lock clicking into place, she knew. He was locking them in here for now so they couldn't escape, and so he wouldn't have to waste resources by having the other renegades watch them.

"What now?" Lara's voice was so low and sad, she sounded lost. "I wanted to try and rescue you, but... heh, now we're both trapped." She said.

Eva bumped her shoulder. "Come on, it's not that bad. From what you described, they'll capture Lloyd soon and when he tries to escape, we can do the same." She said, hoping to cheer her friend up.

Lara shook her head in response. Eva frowned and sighed. "Lara, let's see what happens. If we get the chance, we should at least try to escape, right?" She asked.

Lara breathed deeply and lifted her head a little. "I know you're right. To be honest, I shouldn't have left the safety of the Inn in Triet." She laughed at her own stupid idea. "Kratos and Raine were right to not leave me alone."

Eva couldn't help but laugh a little as well. "Yeah. Looks like you're just as reckless and stubborn as your brother." She said with a smile. Lara laughed at that as well. Eva was happy that her friend wasn't so depressed any more.

"Looks like I am." Lara agreed with a grin. "Alright, we'll try to escape when Lloyd tries to as well, but we have to be prepared to get past Yuan when he comes in here." She said.

Eva smiled. "Now there is the Lara I know." She said.

* * *

**Okay, well I am going to leave this chapter there. Heh, I hope it's a good cliff-hanger. Anyway, sorry it took so long to update. Trying my best to keep on top of this. I want to finish this fic.**

**In other news, I started typing up the first chapter of my new self-insert fic, so I hope people will be anxiously anticipating that story. Also, I finally reunited the best friends and posted a chapter from both their perspectives. Don't know why I didn't do that before, or think of it... *shrugs***

**Anyway, I'll try to work on the next chapter for this story as soon as I can manage. ^ ^**


	6. Rescue

**Solyeuse: Thanks for the advice, but I can't exactly keep a regular updating schedule to begin with. Not only because of stuff I have to do on the internet with other stories, but I get busy in real life as well. So much so that I can't update any of my fics on a regular basis. At least not as regular as I wish it could be.**

**brica: Thank you so much for the review. I'm glad that people still like the story.**

**Anyway, here is the next chapter.**

**I don't think I need to remind anyone. I don't own Tales of Symphonia or the characters in it. That right belongs to Namco-Bandai. I do, however, own the OC's I created for this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 6 - Rescue**

"I can't believe Colette would lie to me like that." Lloyd said, staring at the letter. He had read the words and yet still couldn't understand them. Colette had lied about when they would be leaving so that he wouldn't go on the journey with her. He clenched his hand into a fist and put the letter down. "We're going after her."

"Lloyd!" Genis exclaimed, looking alarmed.

Lloyd looked at his elfin friend. "We can't let her go on this journey alone. And besides, Lara is out there too." He said.

Genis shuffled his feet as he stared at the ground. "I guess." He said.

Lloyd looked at Colette's dad and smiled. "We're gonna go help Colette." He said.

The man smiled and walked around the table to hug them both. "Here, take these gels with you. I don't doubt that you'll need them." He said before handing them some gels from a drawer.

Lloyd took the gels and looked at him. "Thanks." He said. "Now let's get going, Genis."

As soon as they walked outside, Lloyd heard screaming from elsewhere in the village. Not to mention that it was warmer than usual. He paused and looked around, suddenly noticing the fire coming from the roof of a nearby building. A young man ran out of the house and headed their way.

"What's going on?" Lloyd asked when they guy was close enough.

"D-desians... attacking the village!" The main cried and ran off.

"What are they doing here?" Genis asked.

Lloyd frowned and shook his head. "I don't know, but we've got to do something. Let's go see who needs help." He said and when Genis nodded they both took off to help the villagers.

First stop was at the school-house, where one of the other teachers and the children were being terrorized by the Desians. At the sight of those uniforms, all Lloyd could see was red. He rushed in, drew his swords and struck down the Desians with minimal effort. Of course, not all the fights would be this easy, he was sure, but that didn't matter as long as they protected the people and the village.

Next was a random house being burned by three Desians, who were enjoying themselves. A woman lay on the ground, bleeding from a gaping chest wound. From the look in her eyes, she was already dead, but the blood was still pooling around her. The Desians then noticed Lloyd and Genis, and smirked as they readied themselves to fight some more.

Lloyd was already moving forward, swinging his sword in an upward arc from the ground. "Demon Fang!" He shouted and the blue shockwave was sent forward from his sword. The energy hit one Desian and sent him flying while the others rushed forward and tried to attack. Lloyd dodged in and out of their attacks as he struck back each time himself. After a few minutes, the last Desian fell and they moved on to help the next person.

As they ran, Genis suddenly stopped, staring ahead of them. Lloyd looked and saw that it was Genis and Raine's house that was burning down. Tears threatened to fall from the young elf's eyes and Lloyd urged him to move on. They still had a lot to do before they could relax.

At the main gate to the village, there was a gathering of Desians and villagers. Lloyd stopped a little down the road to watch, wondering what was going on.

"Where is Lloyd Irving!" A voice called out to the crowd of villagers.

Lloyd had to look carefully to see the man who had spoken. He had short blue-green hair and wore a strange outfit. The man also had a long metallic... thing, attached to his arm. It looked like he'd lost the lower half and it was replaced with the metal. No one answered the man, and an annoyed look crossed his face.

"Well then, if no one knows where he is, I guess we'll have to destroy this puny village until he shows up." The man said, smirking. He lifted his metallic arm and two pieces shifted, lifting away from the rest to reveal a large circular hole. It was starting to glow.

Lloyd looked at the villagers and back to the man from where he was standing. He couldn't let them get hurt, not when these people were clearly looking for him. Genis looked like he was about to protest, so Lloyd ran out before he could say anything.

"Looking for me?!" Lloyd shouted, sliding to a stop in front of the villagers. He was relieved when Genis ran over to join him.

"So, you're Lloyd. Excellent timing, for an inferior being, that is." The man said in a mocking tone.

Lloyd hissed through his teeth as he glared at the man. This was no ordinary man, he had the same attitude the Desians were well known for. "Who the hell are you?!"

The man laughed at that. "Not that it matters, but I am Forcystus. One of the Desian Five Grand Cardinals. But I suppose even you should learn the name of your owner." He said.

"Owner? Like hell! You don't own me!" Lloyd spat at him. This guy was really getting on his nerves.

Forcystus laughed again. "We'll see about that. Your Exsphere is property of the Desians, and since you wear it..." He shrugged and shook his head. "But, before we take you into custody, I want to see how strong that gem really is. How about a game?" He asked and stepped to the side.

A large, grotesque monster stepped forward with heavy, lumbering steps. It's arms were huge and it wore what looked like torn rags for clothing. Lloyd felt vomit rising in his throat but forced it back down. He couldn't get sick now, he had to protect the village from the Desians and this... thing!

The monster came forward and began swinging it's arm in an arc. Genis ran back and started casting, so Lloyd took it upon himself to keep the thing distracted for as long as possible. He rushed forward and ducked by sliding along the ground as the creature swung its arm at him. When it missed and he was close enough, he slashed up with his sword, cutting the monster's side. It wasn't a deep cut, whatever this thing was, it had really hard skin.

The monster retaliated by clawing at him. Lloyd just barely had time to lift his swords to block the attack, and yet it still pushed him away as a result. "Damn." He let out with a sigh.

"Fire Ball!" Genis called out from behind him. The three balls of fire launched past him and hit the monster, causing it to turn its focus onto the young elf.

Lloyd ran forward again and slashed with his swords. He felt energy building inside him as he attacked. Moments later the cloth covering his Exsphere burned off and he thrust his sword forward. "Sonic Thrust!" He called out, the energy pushing his sword through the monster's skin with ease. Unfortunately, now he couldn't pull it loose. A claw swung around and pushed him away again, but this time he hadn't been able to block. Lloyd landed hard on the ground, his jacket torn open slightly.

The sky above chose that moment to rain down on the village, the water a bit late to save the burning village. Lloyd got back to his feet and watched the monster carefully as Genis charged a new spell. His sword was still stuck in the creature's side. "Aqua Edge!" Genis cried out. Three blades formed from the water around them and went spinning towards the monster. It made three cuts on its' arms and leg. Lloyd ran forward and slashed with the sword he had left, and gripped the hilt of the buried sword. When the monster hit him away this time, the force helped pull the sword free.

Lloyd landed on his feet but slid a foot back before he could rush forward again. As he was about to attack, the monster paused and let out a strained cry, like it was in pain.

"_Genis! Lloyd!_" A warped voice called out as the monster gripped its head with its enormous claws.

"That's-" Lloyd stopped his charge and looked over at Genis, who was staring at the monster in shock.

"That sounds like... Marble." Genis said, his eyes wide.

"_Run away!_" Marble's warped voice spoke from the monster as it lumbered over to Forcystus and grabbed onto him. "_Genis, you were like... a grandson to me._"

The monster's body began to glow and then exploded in a burst of mana. Forcystus was thrown to the side, his expression warped from pain. He struggled to get up as the other Desians ran around him. "Lloyd, remember this... as long as... you carry that Expshere... urgh!... we will be after you..." He said.

The Desians retreated and Lloyd stared at where they had stood, the rain still falling heavily, soaking into his clothes and hair. Genis was on his knees, his eyes tearing up as a small black orb rolled towards him. It was Marble's Exsphere.

After a stunned silence, all hell broke loose among the villagers. Lloyd looked over and frowned because they were all yelling at him. "You brought the Desians down on us!" One person yelled.

"I'm... sorry." Lloyd said, looking at the ground.

"Look what your actions have caused. Half the village is burned down!" The mayor said, glaring at him.

"This isn't Lloyd's fault. I'm the one who broke the treaty and went to the Human Ranch." Genis said.

"But Lloyd is the one they were after."

"So what? I'm just as guilty as he is." Genis answered, angrily.

"Genis." Lloyd looked at his friend in wonder.

The mayor paused to think about that. "Alright, so this punishment includes both of you. As Mayor, I hereby exile Lloyd and Genis from the village of Iselia. Now, get out!" He yelled at them.

Lloyd sighed. "Come on, Genis. Let's go catch up with Colette." He said.

Genis nodded and they left the village, neither of them bothered to look back to see the villagers. As they walked further away from the village, Lloyd heard footsteps behind them and turned around as a blur of white, green and slate blue tackled him to the ground.

"N-noishe!" He called out in surprise, as the big long-eared dog started licking his face. Eventually the dog let him up again and Lloyd smiled. "Alright, you can come too. You mind giving us a ride, boy?" He asked.

Noishe made a noise but didn't complain when they climbed on his back. He took off at a run.

* * *

Shortly after they had left the Inn, the small group headed out into the sun. Kratos wasn't one to complain about the weather, after all, he didn't feel the temperature the same as others did. His human senses had dulled slightly, the need to eat, sleep and feel. He still had those needs and senses, but they didn't cause the same reactions. He followed in silence as Raine, the half-elf healer, lead the way to the marketplace section of the oasis.

They had decided to stock up on extra supplies for when they reached the seal, just in case they needed it. The Chosen followed along, looking at everything with wide eyes. Though he was certain she couldn't be comfortable in the long-sleeved coat, the blonde hadn't complained once, not even when trekking across the sand.

Lara had been affected by the heat more and that was a cause for concern. There were holes in her story about being Lloyd's sister, which in turn would make the girl his daughter. If Anna had twins, why wouldn't she have told him? The thought of the woman he loved lying to him made no sense. And then there was the bullshit story of having traveled to Iselia to meet Lloyd. If Lara had truly made such a journey, she would have needed to cross the desert at least once, and yet she was unaccustomed to the weather here. It made him wonder, but he didn't have enough evidence to confront her about it.

There was no denying how much she looked like Anna though, and even if he was loath to admit it, there was a resemblance between Lara and Lloyd. Not to mention the blue Exsphere she wore on her left hand, the same as Lloyd's. He'd caught a glimpse of it when the dwarf had given her the Key Crest. But even so he was certain that it had been her in the Martel Temple instead of Lloyd and then the boy had shown up afterward. So that also threw out her bogus story about searching for her brother. But he still couldn't figure out where she had come from, nor could he deny the possible connections to her identity. So for now, he would have to watch her closely.

They moved on from the current stall and the Chosen wandered over to a small clay house. Kratos glanced over at her and then looked back towards Raine when he heard the girl gasp. He looked back over in time to see the blonde stumble on something and fall, crashing into... no, through... the wall of the clay house.

"Colette!" Raine cried out, rushing over to the girl's aid.

The blonde sat up slowly and looked up, smiling nervously. "I-I'm okay, Professor Sage." She said. After she stood up and brushed the dust from her clothes she looked at the hole she'd made. "Oh no. I'm sorry." She said, though there was no one around to hear the apology.

"What the-? What are you doing to my house?!" A girl's voice shouted.

Kratos turned around to see a Trietan girl racing towards them, the look on her face filled with horror as she saw the hole in her wall. He sighed and looked back at the pair before stepping in the girl's way.

"We can pay you for the damage." He said, causing the girl to look at him now.

"After ruining my home?! I don't think so!" She crossed her arms, annoyed. Her skin was deeply tanned.

Colette walked over. "I'm really sorry." She said.

The girl glanced at Colette and did a double take, staring at the red gem on her chest. Kratos noticed the girl's look and stepped forward. The girl looked at him again and her face turned red, or at least redder than usual.

"I... I didn't realize you were the Chosen." The girl said. "Please don't worry about the wall. I'll find something to do about it later." She said and brushed past them, keeping her eyes lowered.

"That was a strange reaction." Raine said, walking over to them. She looked back over to the dark skinned girl who was examining the human shaped hole in the way. "Might I suggest we keep moving?"

Kratos nodded. "That sounds fine." He said and they moved away from the market area.

After that, they asked around town for any clues about the Seal of Fire. No one seemed to know anything, and although Kratos knew where to go, he couldn't just come out and say it. Raine was highly suspicious of him despite the fact that they had started on the journey only earlier today. For him to know the location of the seals would only add to her suspicion.

"The Seal of Fire? I've never heard of anything like that." Another Trietan told them. "Maybe you should ask the Oracle? She might know where it is."

"Oracle?" Raine asked, her brow rising in surprise.

"Yeah, she's a prophet. Works in that tent over there." He said, pointing towards a large tent off in the corner by the wall. "If you ask her she might be able to tell you something."

Raine looked at the tent and then back at the man. "Thank you." She said with a sigh.

"Professor?" Colette asked, her hands folded together in front of her.

"Let's go see this prophet." Raine said. "It's at least worth looking into."

Kratos sighed. "Fine. Let's hope this isn't a waste of time." He said running his hand through his hair.

They approached the tent when a young woman rushed out crying. She brushed past them roughly, not looking back at the tent. "I wonder what she asked." Colette said, sounding concerned for the stranger.

"Whatever it was, I'm sure it wasn't important. And it's none of our business anyway." Kratos said.

Raine nodded once and drew the tent flap to the side so they could enter. She followed in after Kratos and he looked around the tent. It was sparsely decorated, a table in the center held a large crystal ball. A purple cloth decorated in gold lay underneath it, covering the table. A dark-skinned, robust woman sat behind the table. She looked up at them and smiled.

"Welcome, Envoys of the Chosen." She said.

Raine stared at the woman. "You know who we are?" She asked, skeptical of the woman's powers.

The prophet smiled and laughed heartily. "But of course. I foresaw your coming. You have traveled quite a way. You are from Iselia, correct?" She asked.

Colette smiled. "Yes, that's right." She was clearly impressed.

Kratos wasn't convinced of the woman's abilities either, but there were some people who had mysterious powers throughout the ages. Who was he to criticize? Still, it was hard to believe, even if the woman's act was convincing.

"You... have one other companion." The woman said frowning. She had looked at her crystal ball. "She fell ill from passing through the desert. You should have brought her with you, but it is fine." She said with a sigh.

"Why should we have brought her? She was ill and was in no condition to move." Raine replied.

"Not then, but she will find trouble. Or rather, trouble will find her. Either way, it is too late to bring her here now." The woman said.

Kratos frowned and felt a strange knot twist in his stomach. Was this woman right? Could Lara get into trouble? No, Raine had locked the door when they'd left and had kept the spare key. Lara couldn't get through the door. But... there was a window in the room, wasn't there? Would the girl be so foolish to risk going out the window? He sighed, realizing the girl just might be that reckless.

"You have come seeking answers." The woman said and looked at all of them. She ran her hands lightly over the crystal ball and smiled. "The Seal of Fire. One of many stops on the journey to regenerate the world. As is natural."

Raine sat down next to Colette on the chairs provided. "What do you know of the Seal of Fire?" She asked.

The woman looked at the crystal, gazing into its depths. "There are ruins not far from here, of an ancient civilization. Inside lies the Temple of Efreet, otherwise known as the Seal of Fire. It is there you must go." She said. Her eyes were unfocused, as though she was seeing something else. "You should return to the Inn quickly. A sandstorm is coming, and it would not do well for you to be stuck here."

Raine stood up along with Colette. "Thank you for your time. Here." Raine started searching through her pack for gald to pay the woman.

"Keep your money." She said. "A true psychic requires no money. Greed makes us lose our gift. Take this information and go save the world."

"Prophet there's-" A young woman walked into the tent. She paused when she saw the group.

"A sandstorm, I know." The prophet answered and the girl bowed, walking behind the table. She was most likely an apprentice here.

Kratos waited for the girls to be ready and walked out with them. As soon as they stepped outside he sensed the change in the wind. The woman wasn't wrong about the storm coming. "Let's move." He said. They headed back to the Inn, the wind kicking up loose sand and blowing it all over. There was even sand coming over the walls around the oasis. Sandstorms were incredibly dangerous to get caught in, they had to get inside soon.

When they were finally back at the Inn, Raine sighed and they headed up to the room where they'd left Lara. Kratos could already sense the absence of a body inside when Raine unlocked the door. As soon as the door was open, he frowned. Lara was gone, and the window was wide open. Drifts of sand had crept into the room and he walked over and closed the window with some difficulty.

"She's gone." Raine said, in shock that the prophet had been right.

"Oh no, where do you think she went?" Colette asked.

Raine put a hand to her chin in thought. "She might have gone looking for us. The Oracle said she would run into trouble, so maybe there are Desians in this area?" She asked.

"But... if that's true... they might have taken her!" Colette said. She started to rush out of the room.

Kratos grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Chosen, we have no time to go looking for her." He said.

"B-but!" She began and then stopped.

"I'm worried about her too, but there is a sandstorm outside. If we go out we'll be caught up in it and we could die out there. Dying won't save Lara, or the world." He said.

Colette frowned and looked at the ground. "You're right. I'm sorry." She said and walked over to the bed and sat down.

"We'll have to wait out the storm." Raine said.

"That could take hours, or even days." Kratos said and then sighed. "You two should try to get some rest. Raine, if I could have the other room key?"

Raine nodded and fished the other key out of her pocket. "Here."

He took the key and left the room without another word. Lara had escaped and gotten into trouble. Raine seemed to think the Desians had gotten her, but the only organization that had a base around here were the Renegades. Mostly likely it was them who captured Lara, and so she was in Yuan's hands now. Kratos sighed as he unlocked the door to the other room and stepped inside. The blue-haired seraph didn't know that he knew, but after a couple thousand years, Yuan's behavior had become pretty obvious. Mithos was too crazed over reviving Martel to notice the other half-elf was trying to thwart his plans. Kratos closed the door behind him and stared at the bed, he didn't need to sleep yet, but he needed time to think.

* * *

"Admit it, Lloyd. We're lost." Genis said, annoyed. They'd been running around in circles for the longest time, even Noishe seemed to be confused about where to go next.

"We're... not lost. We just... don't know where we're going." Lloyd replied.

Genis sighed. "That means we're lost, Lloyd." He said. "We should ask for directions."

Lloyd frowned. "But..."

"Don't be stubborn, Lloyd. We need to know where we are and which way to go." Genis said and scanned the horizon with his eyes. After a moment he spotted a small caravan and smiled. "There! Noishe, do you see it?" He asked.

Noishe whined at him, but started heading in that direction so he was certain the creature understood. As they drew closer, Genis saw a girl about the same age as Lloyd. She was tending to a campfire and looked up as they approached.

"Hello." She said kindly. "Can I help you? Are you lost?" She asked.

Genis hopped off of Noishe and waited for Lloyd to do the same. "Yeah, we were wondering if you had a map."

The girl smiled. "Yeah, we have a few extras. Hold on and I'll go get one for you." She said and walked away, climbing into the caravan.

"I don't like this." Lloyd said.

Genis frowned. "You're only saying that because we had to stop to ask for directions." He said. He didn't understand why humans were so stubborn about directions, but Lloyd wasn't too bad about it.

A moment later the girl reappeared from the caravan and walked over to them. "Here you go." She handed them a map. "My father says it'll be alright if you want to rest here for a while." She said.

Genis took the map before Lloyd could get his hands on it. "Thanks. It'll be nice to rest and get our bearings straight." He said. Lloyd frowned.

"What does that mean?" He asked.

Genis sighed as the girl laughed. "I guess you're the one who got lost." She said.

Lloyd just looked more confused than ever. "I don't get it." He said.

Genis shook his head and sighed. "Don't worry about it, Lloyd." He said. "Is there a place to sit?"

The girl nodded. "We have chairs, I'll go get some for you. Are you hungry? We have food cooking right now as well."

"Food would be great! Thanks!" Lloyd said before Genis could voice his own thoughts.

The girl smiled and walked away. She came back once with two chairs for them to sit on and then again with two plates of food. Genis looked over the contents, it looked really good and he couldn't smell anything that might be poisonous. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with the food and Lloyd was already digging in. Genis sighed and started eating as well. The taste was really good, and the food was pretty filling.

"This is really good!" Lloyd said between bites of food.

Genis frowned. "Lloyd, you shouldn't talk with your mouth full." He said after swallowing his own food.

"Huh?" Lloyd looked at him. Genis shook his head and Lloyd continued eating. "Can I get seconds?" He asked, handing the plate to the girl.

She giggled. "Sure, I'll go see if there's more." She said and walked away. She came back with a filled plate. "Which way are you two headed?" She asked.

Genis grabbed the map and opened it up. "Well, Triet is where we need to go, actually. They probably made it there already." He said.

The girl thought for a moment. "We're headed that way too. Dad says he was waiting because he could see a sandstorm rising in the desert. We'll be leaving as soon as it dies down. Would you like me to ask if you can come along?"

Genis paused and looked at her. "Umm, I guess so."

She smiled. "Okay, I'll ask." She walked over to the caravan and went inside.

"Lloyd, do you think it's weird that we haven't seen anyone else yet?" Genis asked after a moment. The girl was a bit strange, but she had been really nice, and it wasn't like the food had been fake or anything.

"No, why?" Lloyd asked.

Genis sighed. "Never mind. I just have a strange feeling is all." He said and looked over at the caravan. The girl was walking back over again.

"My dad says it's okay if you ride with us." She said with a smile.

About an hour later, they climbed onto the caravan and Noishe walked along beside it as they started moving. There were two other kids in the caravan, a boy Genis' age and a younger girl around eight or nine. The man leading the cart was called Nova and he apparently traveled around with his three children. The oldest girl acted as a mother to the younger siblings and did most of the chores apart from driving the caravan.

Genis looked out at the road ahead and could see the sandstorm, though it looked like it was dying down. It was the only reason why Nova had decided to start moving along, otherwise they would have still been sitting around. Lloyd was currently telling the other kids about how he was raised by Dirk, the dwarf who lived on the other side of the Iselia forest. They even got excited as he recited a couple of the Dwarven Vows for kicks. They would be on the caravan for a while, so Genis decided to get comfortable for now.

The caravan rocked back and forth slowly with the bumps in the dirt road. Genis leaned back and slowly drifted to sleep.

"Gen... ake..." He heard the voice distantly. "...up... nis... up..." Genis rolled over in his sleep and gently pushed away the hand shoving his shoulder. "Genis! Wake up!" The voice called urgently.

The urgency drew him back to consciousness, and Genis sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Huh?" He asked. "Where-?"

"Genis! We're at Triet. You slept the whole way." Lloyd said, smiling.

Genis jumped onto his feet. "What?! I wanted to be awake when we got close!" He shouted.

"I know. I tried to wake you. How early were you up this morning?" Lloyd asked.

Genis shuffled his feet. "I... I was up to see Colette leave." He admitted.

Lloyd stared at him like he'd grown an extra head. "What?! And you didn't tell me?!" He shouted.

Genis flinched and looked away. "Colette asked me not to tell you." He said. That seemed to calm Lloyd down. "I'm sorry, Lloyd. I wanted to tell you but... Colette made me promise."

"It's alright, Genis. I get it." Lloyd said. "But... we're here, so let's go find her." He smiled.

Genis couldn't help but smile back. Lloyd was so forgiving, it was easy to like him even though he was a human. That and he was friendly to everyone. He might be an idiot, but he was a good person. It made Genis feel guilty that he'd never told Lloyd that he wasn't really an elf. But Lloyd hated half-elves, like the Desians, so he couldn't tell him, even though he was his best friend. "Yeah, let's go find Colette." Genis agreed.

He hopped down from the caravan. "Thanks for giving us a ride, Nova." Genis called up to the old man.

"No problem. May we meet again, my young friends." Nova called back down to them and whipped the reigns with a "Yah!" The caravan started moving again, out further into the desert. The wheels left tracks for now, but Genis knew the wind and sand would eventually cover them like they'd never been made.

After a moment, Genis turned to Lloyd and they both walked into the village of Triet. As soon as they entered, however, they saw two Desians up ahead. Together with Noishe, they crept over to the stable in front of the Inn and watched. "You really think that Irving kid will come here?" One asked.

"I don't know, and I don't really care." The other answered. "That girl was of no help to us, but apparently the leader wants her for something."

"Yeah. But hey, we at least have a wanted poster now." The first one said, tacking it up on the board. "Now the locals will know he's a criminal. With any luck, we won't have to look hard to find this kid."

"Yeah, I hear ya." The second one replied and both walked away further into the oasis.

Genis looked over at Lloyd and frowned. "A wanted poster?" He asked.

Lloyd looked concerned as well. "Let's see what it says." He crept out of the stable and over to the sign, Genis followed calmly. "What the-? That... doesn't look anything like me!" Lloyd said angrily, his hands closed into fists.

Genis smirked. "Actually, they got your outfit right. Just not your face." He said. "And it says here they want you alive, that's good."

"How is that good, Genis?"

Genis gave Lloyd a dull stare. "It means they aren't offering a reward if you're killed and brought to them." He said.

Lloyd looked at the poster and frowned. "I... guess that's better." He said. Though he still looked upset by the terrible drawing.

"Come on, let's try to find Colette." Genis said.

"Yeah, it shouldn't be hard to find her." Lloyd said with a smile.

Of course, it could never be that easy. They looked around the village for an hour with no luck. At least, not much luck, they couldn't find Colette herself, but rather clues that she'd been here. The human shaped hole in the wall at the end of the market place, classic Colette. And then the woman in the prophet's tent had mentioned the Triet Ruins, though Genis believed her information questionable. Eventually they ended up back in front of the entrance of the oasis with no sign of Colette.

"Aww man, now what?" Lloyd asked. "We've got to find her."

"Uhh... Lloyd?" Genis tried to get his attention. There were two desians approaching them from behind.

"What is it?" Lloyd asked, not turning around. "Do you see her?"

"Lloyd-?" He reached out to get his attention again, but the desian summoned a ball of electricity and hurled it at Lloyd.

"Gah-! AAGHHHHH!" Lloyd screamed and fell to the ground unconscious.

"Lloyd!" Genis cried out and knelt by his friend. The desians walked over, smirking at him from beneath their helmets.

"Alright, come quietly, kid." One said.

Genis swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded solemnly. Two desians picked up Lloyd's limp form and the other led the way out into the desert. Genis frowned and looked back at the village, wondering if they would ever catch up to Colette and his sister. About a half hour later they were standing in front of a large metal structure similar to the other Human Ranches. Genis felt his knees start shaking at the sight of it, remembering the Iselia ranch and trying to save Marble. They had failed in that, and he had her Exspehere, though he couldn't use it since he didn't have a Key Crest.

"Hey, what've you got there?" The guard asked as they approached.

"We captured the Irving kid. Lord Botta will be pleased." One desian said with a smirk.

"No doubt. Alright, bring him inside." The guard let the desians pass that were carrying Lloyd.

Genis had to do something, they were probably going to do something horrible to Lloyd. But what could he do all on his own? He needed to get away and find Colette. As a group they might be able to rescue him. He let his lip start to tremble and tears welled up in his eyes. He didn't like having to do it, but he could fake cry well enough.

"H-hey! What's wrong with the kid?" A voice asked.

"Huh? Oh man! Kid, stop crying!" Another voice said, a hand reached out to pat him on the shoulder.

Genis knew they were half-elves like himself, and hoped they would take pity on him. "What's wrong?" The second voice asked gently.

Genis rubbed his eyes and looked at them. "I... I didn't even want to be here... Lloyd... he... he made me come..." He let the tears fall.

The two desians looked at each other and sighed. "Kid, it's alright. You're one of us, so... go." The first one said.

"R-really?" Genis asked, looking at them in shock. "You'll let me go?" He did his best to still sound upset.

"Yeah... go on." The other said.

Genis started to run off and then turned back. "Thanks a lot... you're really nice." He said, trying to smile.

"Just get out of here!"

Genis ran off, he only got so far when Noishe showed up. "Noishe? Did you follow me and Lloyd?" Noishe whined at him. Genis smiled. "Lloyd is in trouble. We have to hurry and find Colette, Raine and Kratos." He said. Noishe glanced back towards the oasis as if understanding, Noishe lowered himself into the sand so Genis could climb on his back. "Thanks Noishe."

In a matter of minutes, they were back in the oasis and Genis was surprised and relieved to see Raine and Colette walking out of the Inn, Kratos following behind them. "Raine! Colette!" He called out, jumping off Noishe.

"Genis?!" Raine exclaimed, her eyes wide, and she was giving him an accusatory glare.

Genis faltered under it for a moment. Then he saw the look on Colette's face and he remembered why he'd come looking for them. "Desians! They captured Lloyd!" He told them frantically.

"What?!" The three all looked alarmed.

"We have to go now and rescue him!" Genis said.

Kratos looked at him and then at Noishe. "Show us the way." He said.

* * *

Yuan sat at his desk, staring at the paper work in front of him. He really didn't have time for this, and he wanted nothing more than to be out doing something. Thwarting the Desians or Cruxis, heck, finding a way to get Kratos to release Origin's seal was a big thing. But for that he needed leverage, and so far he only had half of what he needed for that. He sighed and looked up at the wall, thinking back to earlier today when she'd shown up. It had been a surprise that Eva knew her.

He didn't really like the idea of having to keep them locked up, but there were few other options. Eva hadn't tried to run, but he sensed that she didn't really want to be here. As for the other girl, she bore a striking resemblance to Anna, whom he'd only ever seen from a distance. But even knowing that, there were similarities to Kratos as well.

"Sir?" A voice called from the door.

Yuan was drawn from his thoughts and looked over at the renegade. "What is it?" He asked. Only certain high ranking officers were allowed to enter this room, and so only those few knew he was the real leader.

"We got the test results back from the DNA sample." The renegade said, walking into the room. He carried a small folder and pushed it towards him over the desk.

Yuan opened the cover and looked at the data printed on the page, his eyes widening at the information. The girl was indeed Kratos' daughter. Lara... He pressed a button on his desk and a monitor and keyboard slid out. He typed in the pass code and the security footage appeared, showing the two girls were still sitting on the bed together, talking. He looked at the renegade. "You're dismissed." He said. The officer bowed and left the room. Yuan looked back at the screen and typed in something else so he could hear the audio feed. He felt guilty about intruding on their privacy like this, but he was curious.

"We need to get out of here." Lara said.

Eva looked sad and looked around. "I know, but how? The door is locked and I haven't been able to find a secret passage out of this room." She answered.

"Planning to escape. As I thought." Yuan said to himself.

"Eva?" Lara asked.

He looked back at the screen and saw that she looked worried about something. "What is it?" Eva asked, looking at her friend with concern.

"Do you... like Yuan?" Lara asked. The question seemed extremely uncomfortable for her to ask. Yuan frowned, why would that be?

Eva looked surprised. "What?! No!" She answered. "Don't get me wrong, he's been more than kind to me since I got here, but... I don't like him... at least, not in that way."

Lara glanced at her friend. "Really? But... I would have thought..." She paused, probably afraid to go on.

Yuan frowned again, this wasn't a conversation he'd planned on hearing. Just what was going on?

"That just because I look like this... I would fall for him?" Eva finished the question her friend was clearly trying to ask. "Lara, I know how much you like him. I would _never_ do that to you." She said.

Wait... what? Did he hear that correctly?

Lara looked about to cry. "Really? Even if... he liked you because of... you know... you wouldn't...?"

Eva shook her head. "Of course not. I couldn't do that to you." Eva said and looked at the floor. "Besides, it would make more sense if... well, it was you."

"How do you mean?" Lara asked.

Yuan felt a knot twisting in his stomach, was this conversation going where he thought it was going? Kratos' daughter... liked him? How in the world had that happened, he'd only met her those few hours ago. A new thought occurred to him. Perhaps... these girls had already known who he was? It was a crazy idea, but it was the only one that made any sense right now.

Eva sighed. "Lara... you're Lloyd's sister. It stands to reason that you were born into this world. Which means that you belong here more than I do." She said.

"This world?" Yuan said aloud and looked at the screen. "They can't be from Tethe'alla, I would have seen them there at least once." He said. "Could they be... from another world entirely?"

Lara choked out a laugh. "Yeah, I guess."

Yuan sighed and pressed a single key on the keypad and the screen turned off and slid back into the desk. This was an unusual turn of events. But now that he looked back, he realized that must be why the girl had turned so red when he'd grabbed onto her. "Dammit!" He said aloud. Just what the hell was he supposed to do with this new information?

He could use the information to his advantage, but that would mean manipulating the girl's feelings. As much as he needed the leverage, betraying her that way seemed so... wrong. It would be the worst thing he could do. No, he would have to think of something else instead. If it became necessary, he could try it, but not before. She was already in his custody right now, so there was no need to try and manipulate her feelings.

"Lord Yuan?" He recognized the voice.

Yuan looked up at Botta, his second in command who was viewed as the leader by most of the other renegades. "What is it, Botta? I'm rather busy right now." He said.

"Sir, I just heard news that we've captured the Irving boy." Botta said.

Yuan looked back at him again, surprised. He hadn't expected this to happen so soon, now he had both pieces of the puzzle. The next time he met Kratos, he would have the proper leverage to get him to do what he wanted. "Thank you for informing me, Botta. I am still busy." He said.

"Of course. I will leave you alone." Botta bowed and left the room.

Yuan put his hands together and sighed. All he needed now was a way to get Kratos' attention.

* * *

Lara sighed and fell back on the bed to stare up at the ceiling. "I wonder when they'll catch Lloyd." She said aloud. The thought had been crossing her mind for the past few minutes. Eva was watching her, and she was grateful for her friend being here. The conversation before had been a little awkward, but they'd gotten past it. Lara felt lucky to have a friend as good as Eva, but her luck in all other things wasn't nearly so great.

"Soon, if they haven't got him already." Eva said.

Lara looked over at her friend and smiled. "I hope so. Don't get me wrong, I don't want anything bad to happen to him, but I can't tell what time it is any more." She said. It was true, being locked in this room without a clock she'd lost track of time. They could have been in here for a matter of minutes or many hours. It was impossible to tell and there were no windows to tell the passing of time. It could be nighttime now, but they would never know it.

"I know. I wish we could get out of here too. I miss the sun." Eva answered, looking up at the ceiling.

Lara looked over at her friend and sighed. "Do you think there's a way to change you back?" She asked. It was another thing she'd been curious around. Eva had the outfit and her hair hair was permanently light green like Martel now... but she still looked like herself. Her face was still that of her best friend, but it was still strange.

Eva shook her head. "I don't know. We could try looking, but we'd have to get out of here first." She replied. "I want to go and help you, but what about the Tower? I don't want... him... to see me." She said, her hands were trembling.

Lara frowned and sat up as best she could. "Eva, I-" She didn't get a chance to finish her thought as a loud alarm rang. "Argh!" Lara cried out and clamped her hands down on her ears to block out the sound.

Eva's eyes widened in surprise. "That must be Lloyd. I guess they caught him a while ago." She said in awe.

Eventually the screaming alarm was turned off by someone and Lara uncovered her ears, still cringing from the harsh sound. She looked at Eva and her brow furrowed. "How come... the alarm didn't bother you?" She asked.

Eva looked at her. "It was loud, but it didn't sound too bad to me. Why?" She asked.

"I guess the alarm is programmed to be less offensive to half-elves. That's both weird and cool." Lara said. "Anyway, we need to figure out how we're going to get out of here. We have minutes before Lloyd runs into Yuan."

"Right. So what do we do? I don't know any magic." Eva said.

Lara smirked. "Maybe not, but I have my own weapon." She said and grabbed her bow. She drew an arrow from the quiver and notched it to the bow, keeping the string slack. She wasn't going to pull back until she needed to. "We should be able to distract Yuan as he enters the room. Having an arrow shot at him will work nicely."

Eva laughed. "Can you really shoot that at the guy you're crushing on?"

Lara bit her lip. "I... don't know. I really like him but... we also really need to get out of here." She said. "I have to at least try."

"Alright, so you'll shoot at him, and he'll likely jump to the side to avoid being hit. Do we run out of the room before he can compose himself?" Eva asked.

Lara smiled. "Now you're getting it. Let's hope this works." She took a deep breath and kept a firm grip on the bow and arrow. She closed her eyes and tried listening.

She heard an automatic door hiss open, it was faint but she figured it was from the other room. "And just who the hell are you?!" Yuan's voice asked indignantly.

"Give me your name and I'll give you mine." Lloyd's voice answered.

Lara smiled but shook her head. "Man does that line sound arrogant." She said. "I should tell Lloyd about that later. Or not."

Eva giggled behind her and touched her shoulder. Lara glanced back at her friend and smiled before looking back at the door to wait. A few minutes later they heard Botta run into the room and talk to Yuan. Lara lifted the bow and pulled back on the string. Energy surged through her as she heard the door unlock. Eva seemed to be giving her extra energy without realizing it, but she didn't say anything, and simply focused the energy into the arrow.

Yuan walked into the room and looked at them, his eyes widened in shock. Lara released the string and the arrow shot forward at him. He dodged to the side, just as Eva predicted he would. "Flare Shot!" Lara cried out, releasing the pent up energy. The arrow began glowing and hit the wall with a 'THUNK' and a moment later it exploded, sending Yuan flying backwards a few feet.

"Let's go!" Lara said and Eva rushed past her out of the room. Lara paused at the door and looked at Yuan who was trying to get back onto his feet. She frowned and rushed out the door after her friend.

"Lara!" Lloyd shouted in surprise, but he rushed over and hugged her.

She was a bit surprised by the sudden contact, but she returned the hug and then turned to face Botta. Eva stayed behind them, clutching at her staff, she looked more nervous than ever. Lara was sure she'd never seen her this afraid before. "Eva, just stay back and let us handle the fighting." She said.

Eva nodded, her face was extremely pale. Lara noticed her knuckles were turning white from how tightly she gripped her staff.

"You ready, Lloyd?" Lara asked, turning to face Botta again instead.

"Heh, you don't even need to ask." Lloyd said. "I was born ready."

Lara rolled her eyes, ignoring how corny that sounded and drew another arrow from her quiver. Within a matter of seconds she had it notched to the bow and pulled back, aiming at the tall, bulky half-elf.

"LLOYD!" A voice called out.

Colette, Genis and Kratos ran into the room, weapons at the ready. Kratos looked over Lara and Lloyd carefully before turning his attention to Botta. Lara took note of the fact that he hadn't seen Eva yet, but he would notice her when they all left the base.

"Are you hurt?" Colette asked.

"Nah, I'm fine." Lloyd answered, shrugging off the question.

"You won't get out of here alive." Botta said and drew his weapon, which looked like a huge curved sword. Immediately he began casting, a yellowish glyph appearing below his feet.

Colette ran forward and tried attacking him with her chakrams, throwing them at him. Genis jumped back and started casting as well, a blue glyph appeared below his feet.

Lara paid little attention to them as she released the arrow. It jolted into Botta's shoulder and he stumbled back out of his casting stance. With a smile she notched another arrow and pulled back. He charged at her and she didn't have time to get out of the way when Kratos rushed in and parried the attack. Lara smiled and shot the arrow she had ready. Kratos ducked just in time for the arrow to strike. Botta stumbled back again, but not as much as the first time.

Lloyd ran in from the side and slashed at the big man two times before Botta spun around with his weapon and knocked him away. Kratos slashed at him as well and jumped out of the way when Botta turned to retaliate.

"Aqua Edge!" Genis cried out, releasing the magic he summoned. Blades of water rushed over the floor and slammed into Botta.

Botta started casting again, his stance was more guarded than before. Lloyd ran over and tried to knock him out of it, but Botta was barely effected by the attacks. Lara drew another arrow ans shot it at him, but that had no effect either. Even Colette's attacks did nothing.

"Stalagmite!" Botta cried out.

Lara looked around to see where the attack was hit, and when she didn't see it popping up anywhere else, she looked down. The ground split open beneath her, and she just barely had time to think before the attack hit her. She cried out in pain as she was thrown into the air and to the side by the magic attack. Blood trailed down her left leg and right arm as she struggled to get back to her feet.

"Lara!" Eva rushed to her side, her hands gently settling on her back. "Oh god, there's blood everywhere." She said.

"Stay... back." Lara coughed out and tried to push her friend away. She didn't want her to get hurt too.

Eva shook her head. "No." She was panting. "I wish there was something I could do." She said and then gasped. "Wha-?"

Lara looked at her and saw a faint greenish light emanating from Eva's palm. "I think you... can use... healing magic." She grunted.

"Umm... First Aid?" Eva said, her voice shaky and uncertain.

A warmth spread through Lara as the light grew in intensity. The pain throbbing through her limbs slowed down to a halt and she stood up to look at herself. "Wow, that... that was awesome." She said and held a hand out to Eva who was kneeling and staring at her hands in shock. "Come on, let's finish this."

Eva smiled and accepted her help back to her feet. "Right, at least I can be of help now." She said.

"Stalagmite!" Botta shouted.

Lara spun around in time to see Lloyd pull Colette out of the way of the attack. And Genis finished casting again on his own. "Fire Ball!" Kratos ran in after the magic hit and began fighting Botta one on one.

"He's a lot tougher than in the game." Eva said.

Lara nodded. "So I've noticed. But I guess he would be." She pulled an arrow out and notched it. "Lend me some power, I want to try something." She said.

Botta dodge around Kratos' last attack and ran over to Genis. He hit him with the sword and Genis flew into the wall with a grunt. Eva put a hand on Lara's shoulder again. Botta rushed at Lloyd and Colette while Kratos chased after him.

Lara drew back on the string and aimed up at the ceiling. "What are you doing?" Eva asked.

"Focus on healing. I want to see what will happen." She said, drawing on her own energy. Eva took a deep breath and a moment later she felt another energy flowing through her. "I feel it. Time for some healing." She shot the arrow at the ceiling. "Healing Rain!" Lara cried out.

Strangely enough clouds formed on the ceiling and rain began pouring. Botta looked at her and charged, Lara was still recovering from the shot and cringed when he got close. Eva jumped in front of her and swung her staff. She hit him dead on the chest and managed to knock him to the ground. Kratos ran over as Botta started getting to his feet. Lara notched another arrow and aimed at his head, he was right in front of her. Botta looked up at her, frowning, and then Kratos had his sword against Botta's neck.

"You lose." Lara said.

Botta raised his hands and dropped his weapon. "Very well, so I have lost." He said. "It seems I cannot keep you here."

"Lara." Kratos said, there was a strange tone in his voice, like he'd been worried. Lara looked at him, but his expression betrayed no emotion.

"Hey, sorry for the trouble. I didn't know I'd run into these guys if I left the room." She said and stepped around Botta, Eva followed her. "This is a friend of mine, Eva."

Kratos looked at her friend and she noted the way his eyebrows shot up, but he masked the change of expression quickly. "It's nice to meet you." He said simply and looked at Lara. "We need to get out of here."

Lara nodded. "The others?" She looked over and saw that Lloyd, Colette and Genis were all standing, looking surprised that they weren't badly hurt. "Looks like we're all good."

Kratos drew back his arm and, with the pommel of his sword, hit Botta over the head. The large half-elf fell over, unconscious. Kratos turned and began walking out of the room. "Let's go."

They all hurried out of the room. Lara kept track of the hallways they passed through to get to the main hall. Raine was there and waved them over. "I just unlocked the correct path out. Let's go." She looked at Lara. "Lara, it's good to see you are safe."

Lara smiled. "Thanks, Raine."

The group left the room and walked out into the open air. The sun had set and it was much cooler outside. Lara smiled and ran ahead a little before spinning in a circle. "Wow. It feels good to be outside again." She sighed.

"We need to head back to the oasis to regroup." Raine said.

"NO!" Eva cried out, her eyes wide.

Lara looked at her friend in shock with everyone else. "And who are you?" Raine asked.

"Eva."

"She's a friend of mine." Lara walked over and put her arm around her friend. "Raine, she's right."

"Why is that?" Raine asked, looking extremely skeptical.

"They captured me at the oasis. Eva was found there the day before me, and that's even where they captured Lloyd." Lara answered. "They'll be expecting us to go back there. It'll be too easy for them to follow and catch us that way."

Raine frowned and turned away, thinking it over. "That's true, but where would you suggest we go instead?" She asked.

Lara noticed that Kratos looked at her and then stepped forward. "We can head for the Ruins. That's where the Seal of Fire is. It should be safer to head in that direction for now." He said.

Raine sighed. "Alright. We'll head to the Triet Ruins." She said, sounding defeated, but there was a glint in her eyes that said she wanted to go there now anyway.

Lara smiled and looked at Eva, who was smiling in return. "We're free." Lara said. Eva looked at her and nodded, too afraid to say anything at the moment.

* * *

**That was a bit longer than I expected. I hope it's good for you guys. I know I switched perspectives a lot in this one, but I wasn't going to simply move the story along with just Lara and Eva, you know? Anyway, hope you all like it. Please read and review. I love to hear from you. ^ ^**


	7. Seal of Fire

**I got two new followers? And two reviews? Wow. In a matter of days after posting the last chapter too. I feel so... HAPPY! *jumps for joy* But I know I can't relax too much. I still have a ways to go with this story, so... yeah. Anyway, I am very happy that you guys are enjoying the story.**

**Also, I am sorry for the wait on this chapter.**

**I don't like constantly proclaiming that I don't own Tales of Symphonia, but its true. I don't. I just own the OC's I bring into the story. And now that I have that out of my system, on to the chapter! Whoo!**

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Seal of Fire**

They set out across the desert, traveling through the night instead. It was incredibly cold out when compared to how hot it was during the day, but it was still better. And, though she was loath to admit it, Lara had been right. When they had gotten considerable distance from the Desian base, they had turned and saw some of the soldiers headed towards the Oasis. After that they had kept to the shadows, hiding behind dunes and silently making their way towards the Ruins.

Raine felt a tingling in her limbs the closer they got, but she kept herself composed. Just the thought of what she might find at the ruins had her on edge. Not only would it make for an incredible history lesson, but there might also be clues to their past. Well, for her and Genis, anyway. Her brother was too young to remember what had happened to them, but she still saw the images in her dreams. Her obsession came from her longing to find her past, but she was also a researcher, so she couldn't ignore historical ruins and artifacts when she found them. Who in their right mind could ignore them?

"It's... c-c-cold." Genis complained as they walked.

Raine looked back at her brother, walking along beside Lloyd and Colette. He had his arms wrapped around himself and looked very uncomfortable. He stumbled a couple of times, too.

"Yeah, who would have thought the desert would be so cold at night." Lloyd said, frowning as well.

"You're one to complain, Lloyd." Lara said. She was dressed in lighter clothing, while Lloyd at least had a thick coat.

Raine herself felt very comfortable, her clothing was heavy and warm enough to keep out the cold of the night, but it was also light enough that she didn't get too hot during the day. Kratos was leading the way right now, and she wondered if he was bothered by the temperature. He was a mercenary though, so even if he was, he probably wouldn't mention it.

"What do you mean?" Lloyd asked, sounding confused.

Lara sighed. "You have a thick jacket on. All I have are these sleeves, and that still leaves my shoulders and neck bared." She said.

"Stop complaining all of you." Raine said after a moment. The constant talking about the temperature had started to bother her minutes ago. It was cold, walking through the sand was making her muscles cramp, and they still had a way to go. She didn't need to hear it coming from them.

She glanced back over her shoulder and found that no one was looking at her. They were quiet though, and that was all she could ask for at the moment. The one person that really made her wonder, was the girl, Eva. From the moment they had escaped the base, she had been unusually silent. Her mana marked her as a half-elf, but she had made no mention of it, and she didn't seem to have the Desian mentality. Raine had also begun to notice the way Kratos kept looking at her, like he expected her to disappear at any moment, or for her appearance to change.

"Hey, um... Eva, was it?" Colette asked after they were silent for a while.

Eva looked up and over at the blonde haired Chosen. "Yes?" Her voice was soft and polite.

Raine was curious about what her student was about to ask, and so she listened. "You're an elf, right? Professor Raine and Genis are elves, so I was curious." Colette said.

Eva cast her eyes down to the sand in front of her. "No... I'm a half-elf." Eva said slowly. "I'm not ashamed of what I am, so I don't want you to get the wrong idea."

"Oh." Colette said, looking away from her. "Well that's alright."

"R-really?" Eva sounded surprised.

Raine looked ahead and noticed Kratos turned his head a little to look back at them. She frowned and watched as he turned to look ahead again like nothing had happened. His behavior was highly suspicious, but he was a skilled fighter. As much as she disliked him and his attitude, they needed his protection. Something she wished she could deny.

"Yeah. Who cares what you are?" Lloyd's voice broke in. "So you're a half-elf. That doesn't mean you're evil like the Desians." He said.

Raine looked back and saw Eva smiling slightly. "Thank you. It's not often I meet humans who can accept me for what I am." She said.

Raine couldn't help but agree with the girl. It really wasn't often that you met humans who could accept half-elves. All Desians were half-elves and often people seemed to believe that all half-elves were Desians. But that simply wasn't the case. There were half-elves, like herself and Genis, and like Eva, who were against what the Desians did. Hearing that Lloyd was willing to accept Eva despite the fact that she wasn't all human made her smile. She wasn't going to reveal the truth about herself, but it gave her a warm feeling. One that didn't last too long when she noticed Kratos had stopped walking ahead.

She walked over to him. "What is it?" She asked.

Kratos stared off into the distance and narrowed his eyes. "Monsters. They're headed this way." He said.

Raine looked in the same direction as him, but could see nothing in the distance. How Kratos was able to see anything when she couldn't, that made her wonder. But there was no time to question it. She turned back to the others. "Kratos says there are monsters coming." She told them.

They all drew their weapons and got ready for fighting. All except for Eva, who was clutching her staff nervously and staring into the distance, wide-eyed. The girl wasn't used to fighting, she'd most likely need to be protected more often than not. She took out her own weapon and waited.

Several minutes later she heard the monsters in the sand. It was very faint, so it was hard to tell there was anything there at all. Raine tightened her grip on her staff and waited. Moments later there was no sound. Kratos still looked tense, though, so she couldn't rule out that the monsters were still nearby or approaching.

"They're burrowing through the sand." Eva said.

Raine looked back at her. "How can you tell?" She asked, surprised.

"I can sense them. They're gonna come up out of the sand." She answered, her expression confused.

Raine frowned and looked over at Kratos who was also looking at the girl oddly. So she wasn't the only one who found this new information to be odd. But there was no time to focus on that. She closed her eyes and tried to sense the monsters. Within moments she could feel movement beneath the sand. The girl was right, the monsters were trying to surprise them. "She's right. I just felt them." She said.

Kratos moved away from his spot by a couple of steps. "Be on your guard." He said.

The next few minutes were unusually quiet as everyone moved slightly to prepare for the surprise attack. Raine felt tense, her muscles were still cramped and the waiting wasn't helping her paranoia. When were the monsters going to come out and attack them?

Suddenly the sand seemed to explode in clouds of dust as the monsters broke through the surface. Raine jumped back and swung her staff around, crushing the scorpion that had reared out of the sand at her. The others were fighting in a similar manner as well. Sand flew into the air and the area was covered in a fine cloud of dust. She heard someone cough, but couldn't see who it was.

"Demon Fang!" She heard Lloyd call out and a hissing as the attack struck a snake.

"Ow!" That sounded like Colette. Raine frowned and coughed as the sand got into her mouth. It was impossible to see anything.

"Air Thrust!" She heard Kratos say and felt the wind suddenly blowing around them. The dusty sand cloud cleared up. Most of the monsters were dead and dealt with, and those that weren't were already running away. Raine saw Colette sitting on the sand clutching her ankle, she seemed to be in a lot of pain. She hurried over, as did Kratos.

"Colette, what happened?" Raine asked as she dropped her staff and looked at the girl.

Colette smiled weakly. "I was trying to fight when I felt something strike my ankle." She said, putting on a brave face.

Raine frowned and grabbed the blonde's leg, pulling up the bottom edge of her black leggings. There was a lot of blood. "I'll need to wash this off to see the wound." She said.

Eva walked over and handed her a canteen. "Here, use the water in here." She offered the canteen.

Raine nodded and took it, unscrewing the cap and pouring water over the wound. Colette cringed slightly as she washed the blood off. There was a tiny bead of blood forming where the wound was. "Looks like a scorpion stung you." She sighed and focused her mana. "Stay still, Colette." The girl nodded weakly. "Recover!" Raine said as she concentrated. The spell would counteract any poison that may have entered her bloodstream. "First Aid!" She felt more mana leave her body as the second spell took effect, healing the wound. "There we go." She sighed and sat back a little.

Colette looked a little better, though she was still paler than usual. "We should keep going, right?" She asked.

Raine was about to protest herself when Lara stepped forward. "I don't think so. We should rest here." The brunette said, kneeling and putting a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "We have a couple of hours until the sun rises, and I don't think we should keep moving."

Colette looked like she was going to argue the issue and claim she was fine, but paused. Raine glanced behind her and saw the look on Kratos' face and knew that's what had made the girl quiet. "We'll rest here." Raine agreed. "We should eat something as well, how about I cook?" She suggested.

Genis, Colette and Lloyd all shouted "NO!" at the same time and she frowned.

Lara smiled slightly. "I'd be happy to cook something for everyone."

"You cook?" Raine asked her, as Genis and Lloyd exchanged surprised looks.

She nodded. "Yeah, I usually cook for myself when I'm hungry. I know I'm not the best chef, but I can make a few things." She replied easily.

"Alright. Genis, will you help her out?" Raine asked. Genis jumped slightly and then nodded.

Everyone sat down on the sand and started chatting, waiting for dinner. But as she looked behind her she noticed Kratos was standing, scanning the area around them. Well, someone had to keep an eye out for more monsters, right? Thankfully Kratos didn't seem to mind being the one to look out for danger.

* * *

A few minutes later, with Genis' help, dinner was ready. Lara was in the habit of making sure that everyone had something to eat before digging in herself. When everyone had a plate of food she looked over at Kratos, who was still by himself. He was at the top of the nearest sand dune, but at least he was sitting down this time. She frowned a little and got a plate of food together and made her way up the sand to his position.

"Dinner is ready." She said, but he ignored her. Lara sighed and turned to look where he was looking and sat down next to him. She pushed the plate up under his nose and waited.

Kratos paused and looked down at the plate and then looked at her. "I'm not hungry." He said simply.

Lara glared at him. "Bullshit. You're the only one who hasn't eaten anything since we started on the journey today." She said and shoved the plate on his lap. "I don't care if you say you're not hungry. I got this for you, so eat something." She said.

Kratos' eyes narrowed at her response, but she glared right back at him until he sighed. "Fine." He said and picked up the utensils on the plate and started eating. He said nothing for a long time until he looked at her again. "Aren't you going to eat?" He sounded suspicious.

Lara smiled. "Of course I will. I just like to make sure that everyone is eating before I do." She answered and stood up. She knew she probably had sand on her ass, but she wasn't going to dust it off when there was food nearby. "I'll be right back." She said and headed back down to where everyone else was. When she walked back she was carrying a plate of food for herself and sat down smiling. "I think I outdid myself." She said.

"What makes you say that?" Kratos asked.

Lara smiled and looked at him. "Well, everyone complimented my cooking when I went down there, and... you finished your food." She said, grabbing the empty plate from his lap. His cheeks turned a shade darker and she realized he was blushing. She couldn't believe it. Was he really blushing because of what she said? Now that was a funny picture.

"It was very good." He managed to say after a moment.

She felt happy that he enjoyed it. After all, he might just be her biological father. "Well thank you. I try my best." She said and started to eat herself.

Kratos was quiet for a long time as she sat next to him eating. She noticed him look over at her a few times out of the corner of her eye. After a few more moments of silence, he spoke. "They didn't do anything to you, did they?" He asked.

She paused and swallowed the food in her mouth. "Huh?" She asked, wondering what he was talking about.

"The... Desians. They didn't do anything to you, did they?" He asked again. The way he said it made her think he knew about the Renegades. It made sense, he was working for Cruxis after all. He should know something about the organization that was trying to ruin the one he worked for. But she didn't have time to dwell on that, he had asked her a question.

She knew what he was getting at and she shook her head. "No. They ran a blood test for something, but I never heard what the results were. I don't know what it was for, and no one said anything to me." She said. Part of it was a lie, but... Yuan had run a blood test. She guessed it was to determine if she really was Kratos' daughter, but she hadn't heard back. Yuan never said anything about it, but then he probably hadn't gotten the results back yet. It made her curious about the answer, but also worried. What if she wasn't really related to Lloyd and it was some kind of a fluke? How would she tell Lloyd? He had been so excited to learn that he had a sister.

Kratos nodded absently and said nothing as he stared into the distance. Though he was saying nothing, she felt he had been worried about her. Did he believe her story then? When the pieces were set into place it looked real enough, but there were still missing pieces. He had been suspicious of her before, and now... now he was concerned for her well-being? Now she really hoped she wasn't wrong.

They both sat in silence for a while. "Your friend is looking for you." Kratos said.

Lara looked at him and then down at the camp and noticed Eva waving her to come back to camp. "Oh. Well, I'll see you in the morning, Kratos." She said, standing up with a smile. "I hope you don't plan on staying up all night." She said as she walked down the sand, sliding a bit here and there. She glanced up and noticed he was watching her for a moment before he stood and looked around. Lara smiled and shook her head before walking over to her friend. "What's up?" She asked.

Eva smiled. "Everyone wants to talk to you." She said. "Lloyd doesn't understand why you wanted to spend time talking to Kratos. 'He hardly says anything.'" She mocked Lloyd's voice a little.

Lara laughed. "He just doesn't understand yet." She said.

Eva nodded. "Are you going to tell him?"

Lara shook her head. "No. I firmly believe that he should find out on his own." She answered. Eva just smiled sadly at her response, but didn't oppose her decision.

She walked back into the camp where all the others were waiting and smiled, Eva walking next to her. "So, I hear you guys want to talk to me?" She said.

Raine looked over at her and nodded. "Yes, Eva was telling us how you grew up together." She said.

Lara nodded. "That's right, what about it?" She asked.

Lloyd was smiling. "Well, we think it's great how well you get along. Eva said she was a half-elf, but you don't seem to mind." He said. "I mean, I don't care what race she is either, but you've known her for a long time, right?"

"Ever since we were kids." Eva said warmly.

Lara blushed a little and shook her head. "I actually didn't know she was a half-elf at first. I learned that a little later, but... we were already friends. So I didn't care." She said.

"And what about the area where you grew up? Were there more half-elves there?" Raine asked.

Lara frowned as she tried to think of something to say. "Not really. The village we grew up in is a little out-of-the-way. It's not even on the map, but it's there. Eva was the only half-elf there that I knew of. Everyone was really nice to one another though." She said.

"That's so cool!" Colette said with a smile.

"It is, isn't it?" Lara asked, smiling brightly. After that, everyone just talked about random things until Genis fell asleep and then Lloyd. Colette and Eva talked for a little while and then fell asleep at the same time. Until it was just Lara and Raine left sitting up around the fire.

"Lara?" Raine said, not looking at her.

Lara looked over at the white-haired half-elf. "What is it?" She asked.

Raine looked over at her, her blue eyes narrow with suspicion. "I don't know if everything you've said is true, so I can't bring it upon myself to trust you. I think you're lying about a lot of things. I just want to make myself clear on this. If you dare to hurt any of my students, I will see to it that you suffer a world of pain before you die." She said seriously.

Lara blinked, surprised by the hostility she heard in the older woman's voice. She frowned at her. "I might be lying, but it's only to protect myself and Eva. There are things about us that just... can't be talked about." Lara said honestly. "I don't intend to hurt anyone, Raine. I hope that by the end of this journey you realize you can trust me. But I'm not asking you to trust me right now."

Raine nodded. "That's fine. Just as long as the message is clear." She said, her expression softened a bit. "Anyway, I'm going to sleep. You should too."

Lara sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I know." She replied.

* * *

Kratos couldn't help but overhear the end of Lara and Eva's short conversation. Being an angel had its perks and its disappointments, but now it felt like a perk. Was it possible? Could Lara know who he was? It wasn't possible for her to know that he was an angel from Cruxis, but... she was certainly smarter than Lloyd. Perhaps he was a bit too obvious in his concern for them. He would have to pull back a little.

He watched as the group started to fall asleep and noticed Lara and Raine were the last to go to bed. From here he couldn't hear anything they talked about, but he wasn't worried about that. He could see them from here and beyond enough to know if monsters were sneaking up on them. So far nothing had happened since the last surprise attack. The monsters were a lot smarter than people game them credit for. If an enemy was too strong, they didn't approach.

Everything was really quiet at this point, it was dark out and the stars were showing. He wasn't one to reminisce, but something about this night reminded him of another night over seventeen years ago.

...

_"Kratos, dinner is ready." Her voice called out to him._

_Kratos stopped scanning the area and turned to look at her. Anna looked more beautiful than ever in the mix of moonlight and firelight. He smiled and walked over, glancing at her growing stomach. "What did you make this time?" He asked._

_Anna laughed, the sound like chiming bells. "Why don't you eat it and find out." She said mysteriously._

_He shook his head and sat down to eat as she handed him a plate. There was a layer of potatoes and gravy over what he suspected to be a slice of meat. Despite how unappealing it looked, he had little doubt that it would taste amazing. Even though Anna had mostly grown up in Desian captivity, she was a pretty good cook. He took a bite and was surprised by the flavors spreading over his tongue. "You've outdone yourself, Anna." He said after he swallowed._

_Anna smiled happily and started eating herself. "Well, the way things are going, you never know what meal might be our last." She said seriously._

_He looked up from his food at her, staring oddly. It usually wasn't like her to worry about the Desians, not since he'd helped her escape. He glanced at the ring on her finger and wondered what had brought up the thought. "You don't usually worry about dying." He said._

_Anna shook her head sadly. "I know, but... all this running." She sighed. "Kratos, we need to find a place to settle. I can't give birth to our child on the run." She said._

_Kratos swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "I'll find a place for us." He said._

_Anna smiled at him. "Thank you. At least for a little while. So I can have our child and raise him or her to be healthy. And then we can start running again."_

_He smiled. "Of course. I'll look for a place when we find a town. As soon as we find a town."_

_She laughed and snuggled up against him. "Thank you." She said, closing her eyes. He put an arm around her shoulder and she gazed up at the sky. "It's peaceful out here."_

_"The stars are shining on us." He wasn't sure why he said it, but she smiled, so it seemed to comfort her._

_They stayed together that way for a while. Kratos was silent, but put his hand over Anna's stomach and smiled when he felt movement._ His_ child was growing in there. And though he'd only met her at the ranch several months ago, he'd fallen in love with Anna. Without any hesitation, she had agreed when he'd asked her to marry him. And now she was carrying his child._

_Anna looked up at him, smiling. "Try not to stay up all night. You need to rest as well." She said before closing her eyes._

...

Kratos looked down at the camp again, returning to the present was... painful, to say the least. The memory of Anna was so happy and filling, it hurt to return and remember that she was gone. But their child was still here... well, their _children_ were still here. He still wasn't completely sure of Lara's identity, but he couldn't completely deny the possibility, either.

A few hours later the sun began to rise in the distance. Kratos took that as his cue to wake everyone up. After all, he couldn't leave them sleeping in the sand during the day, they'd bake and die. He woke Raine first, then the Chosen, Lloyd and Lara, Eva, and Genis was the last to wake up. He was a stubborn sleeper, much like a certain blue-haired seraph he knew. When they were all awake and ready they began walking before the sun could heat the sand too much.

He noticed Lara was watching him as they walked and he sighed. "You were up all night, weren't you?" She asked, drawing everyone's attention to him.

Kratos looked back at her. "I don't see how my sleeping pattern should be of any concern to you." He said. The others all seemed willing to drop the issue, but Lara... pouted. He made a noise in his throat, a sort of groaning. She looked a lot like Anna when she did that. He looked away from her. "I don't need you worrying about me." He added to the conversation.

He heard her sigh. "It's not you I'm concerned about. It's Colette. You need to be well rested too if you're going to protect her." She said.

She made it sound like there was nothing between them, no family ties. Kratos narrowed his eyes in thought, she was good at pretending at least. Anna had always known how to hide her own secrets, but she hadn't ever kept them for long with him. That is, after they settled down and she had their child, something seemed to upset her. She hadn't ever mentioned it, and when he'd mentioned wanting a baby girl later she had cried. He wondered why Anna had never mentioned their daughter, but knew it was most likely to keep her safe. He glanced back at Lara again and saw she was walking along with Eva, the girl who looked like Martel. She didn't act like Martel much, she was much too timid and afraid. But her heart was in the same place. He tried not to dwell on it. He needed to get them to the Seals and eventually to the Tower, where he would have to betray them and reveal his true identity. Something he was NOT looking forward to.

An hour later he noticed sand colored pillars sticking out of the sand. The dunes had become smaller and a bit more solid, they were close to the Ruins. He looked back at the group and waited for them to catch up. Raine looked like she might pass out from the heat, but the determined look in her eyes claimed she wasn't going to let the heat beat her. Lara looked a bit uncomfortable, but so did Colette, Eva and Lloyd. Genis was currently riding on Noishe, his eyes closed and his cheeks flushed. Kratos sighed. These were the people traveling with the Chosen, this ragtag bunch, most of whom were from the same village as the Chosen. Lara, Eva and himself were the only ones who didn't grow up in Iselia.

"Just a little further." Kratos said when they were close enough to hear him.

Raine stood taller at the words and smiled. "Excellent. It'll be good to get out of this sun." She said.

"You're telling me." Lloyd said, holding a hand over his eyes to shade them from the sun.

He wanted to tell them to stop complaining, but they had only just started. At least no one was being particularly loud or annoying about it. He turned and started walking again as Raine came up beside him. He ignored her for a while and they walked in silence.

"I find it interesting you knew what direction to go after leaving the Desian base." She said after a moment.

Kratos glanced at the woman. "I trust you aren't accusing me of anything." He said.

She looked at him, her blue eyes full of suspicion. "Not of being a Desian, but you know an awful lot more than I think you should. Even if you are a mercenary." She said.

Kratos ignored the implications. "I wasn't always a mercenary." He said simply and moved on. He knew he wasn't leaving her with much information, but he didn't feel the need to share his history with her.

Finally they were at the entrance to the ruins. The doorway into the ruins was sealed at the moment because of the journey. "This is it. The Triet Ruins." He said. Genis lifted his head from where he was laying on Noishe's back. He looked half-asleep.

Raine had an extremely odd look on her face as she walked by him. "This is... simply AMAZING!" She cried out and ran forward to the door. "Everyone, come look at this slab." She said as the others walked over slowly. "It's clearly made of a different composition than the surrounding stone." She ran her hand across the surface and her eyes lit up. "Th-this is polycarbonate. It was used during the Kharlan War to defend against magic." She said in her excitement and continued to prattle on about the stones' history.

Kratos felt his eye start to twitch and he sighed. "Is she... always like this?" He asked.

Lloyd frowned. "This is the first time I've seen her do this. Genis?" He asked.

The boy sighed and shook his head. "I tried so hard to hide it, too." He said and turned to them. "But, my sister is... really crazy about ruins."

Lara smiled, however. "That's not too bad, though. I've known people with crazier hobbies and obsessions." She said.

Genis looked at her, frowning. "Like what?" He asked.

Lara laughed. "Like collecting everything and never letting it go." She answered.

Raine ran over to the raised daïs next to the door. "This engraving... it says 'oracle stone.' Colette, come place your hand here." She said.

Colette looked over in surprise and nodded, stepping up to it. She put her hand on the stone and a moment later there was a resounding '_CLICK!_' as the door unlocked and the slab slid open. Raine looked upset that it was gone. Colette smiled. "Wow, so I guess I really am the Chosen." She said.

Lara looked at her. "What made you doubt yourself?" She asked.

Colette shook her head but smiled. "Oh, nothing." She said. "Should we go inside?"

Kratos walked forward and began descending the stairs. "The seal is hidden inside." He told them. "Chosen, be careful." He said and moved on.

* * *

She smiled when he told her to be careful, knowing he was concerned about her safety made her feel warm inside. Not that she liked Kratos, he was just hired to protect her. No, those feelings were reserved for Lloyd, her friends and family and... saving the world. Colette looked at her best friend, he was talking to Genis at the moment, but he looked really happy, and that made her feel happy. It would be hard at the end... but she had to do it. She both wanted him to be here, and wished he was home, to protect him from the truth. Colette took a deep breath and started walking down the stairs, Raine walking beside her.

She heard Lara say something up above and heard them come down the steps behind them. Colette smiled and kept a determined look on her face. It would be hard to leave her friends, but the world was dying, and she was the Chosen. It was her duty to sacrifice her life to save it. She knew Lloyd wouldn't understand, so she couldn't tell him. He would try to stop her, and she couldn't let that happen.

As she walked, she felt her foot get caught on something and she started to fall forward. She let out a small gasp as she realized she was going to hit the ground and closed her eyes, waiting for the impact. Instead, nothing happened and she realized someone was holding her arm. Colette looked up and saw Lloyd grasping her wrist, smiling.

"Where would you be without me, Colette?" He asked, laughing.

She let out a small laugh as well. "I'd be in a lot of trouble." She answered easily and hugged him. "Thank you, Lloyd."

"Aww, you guys are so cute."

Colette looked behind Lloyd and saw Lara smiling at them. Colette felt the heat rush to her cheeks and pulled away from Lloyd. When she looked at him after, she noticed his cheeks were red too. "I-it's not like that." Colette said, still blushing.

Lara looked at her. "I didn't say it was. I only said you guys are cute together." She said.

"Oh, heh. Sorry." Colette apologized. She felt bad for speaking out and she looked at Lloyd. He didn't look upset, so that was a good thing.

"You don't have to apologize." Lara said and pat her shoulder. She walked by and Colette watched her walk over to Kratos, who was paused in the hallway up ahead.

Colette walked over and frowned. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Kratos looked at her. "There are traps in these ruins. We need to be careful." He told her.

Colette looked ahead at the hallway and frowned, wondering what kind of traps were in here. "I don't see anything." She said.

"Step back a bit you guys. I wanna try something." Lara said.

Colette looked at her and nodded, stepping back away from where she was standing. Lloyd looked confused and Kratos didn't look too happy that she'd spoken up.

Lara crouched down and stared at the floor for a bit and smiled. "I can't see any pressure plates, but that doesn't mean there aren't any there." She said. A moment later she took off at a sprint down the hallway. Colette cried out in shock as the traps triggered. Miraculously, Lara made it to the other side of the hall in one piece. She waved back at them.

"Wow, she made it!" Colette couldn't help but smile. Lara was a very fast runner.

"Humph. Show off." Genis said, pouting. Colette just laughed a little.

Kratos sighed. "That could have ended a lot worse." He said, looking relieved. Colette wondered why that was, but didn't question him. He walked forward a little. "LARA! TRY LOOKING FOR A SWITCH!" He called out.

Lara waved a response and disappeared down a side hallway. There were a few tense minutes until she reappeared at the end. "FOUND IT! IT SHOULD BE SAFE NOW!" She called to them.

Lloyd smiled. "Cool. Let's get going then." He started to walk forward but Kratos stopped him.

"Let me go first. I've been through areas like this. Besides, you don't have the proper reflexes to avoid the traps." Kratos said and walked forward. It looked like he was deliberately trying to step on hidden pressure plates, but nothing happened. He waved them forward.

Colette exhaled and smiled in relief. She had been worried when Kratos mentioned the traps, but now they could pass freely. Of course, she had Lara to thank for that as well. When everyone made it to the end of the hall, they were reunited with the brunette. Colette noticed something immediately. Apparently Lara hadn't been nearly as lucky as she thought.

"There's... a dart in your arm." She said, horrified.

Lara looked at her arm and smiled weakly. "Yeah. I got hit just before I broke free into this hall." She said, like it was nothing, but she cringed in pain.

Raine walked over to her. "We need to cut out the arrowhead." She said. "I can't heal you while it's still in there."

Lara nodded and leaned back against the wall. She grabbed a small dagger from her belt. "I found this down that hallway where the switch was." She said. "It's a good size, so I thought it might be useful." Her voice sounded strained and her eye twitched from the pain.

Raine looked at her and then turned to Genis. "Genis, use a Fire Ball spell to heat the dagger's blade." She said.

"Wha-?" Genis began but Raine glared at him and he shut up.

"Lloyd, you're going to cut the arrowhead out." Raine told him. Lloyd swallowed and nodded, knowing better than to argue with her.

Colette frowned and folded her hands together in prayer. She hoped Lara would be alright.

Genis started casting and after a minute said "Fire Ball!" The magic filled the dagger's blade. Lloyd grabbed it by the handle and looked at Lara, frowning. "This is going to hurt." He said.

Lara grabbed her bow and bit down on the middle where she normally gripped it. She nodded once to Lloyd to tell him to continue. Colette couldn't bring herself to watch and turned around. A moment later she heard the sound of sizzling and smelled flesh burning, and Lara screamed a little over the bow between her teeth. It lasted for a couple of minutes and Colette closed her eyes tightly. Then... "First Aid!" Raine said shortly.

Colette turned around to look and saw Lara slumped on the floor, her back against the wall. Her arm still bore a slight burn which was healing from the Professor's magic. She was sweating and her eyes were unfocused, probably because of the pain.

"Lara? Lara!" Lloyd called her name, and she looked up at him, her eyes coming in and out of focus.

Colette knelt down and looked at her closely. "Lara? Are you okay?" She asked, seriously concerned. This was Lloyd's sister after all. Even though she hadn't grown up with the girl, she still felt close to her and wanted her to be alright.

Lara nodded weakly and tried to smile. "I'll be alright." She said, her voice was a little shaky.

Raine sighed. "We should rest here for a little bit until you're strong enough to move." She said.

Lara shook her head and tried to stand up. She cringed in pain and fell back against the wall. "You... shouldn't have to wait... for me." She said, sounding annoyed.

Raine stared her down until Lara looked away defeated. "You are in no condition to fight, let alone move. We'll rest for a while until you feel stronger." She said firmly.

Lara glared away into the darkness of the other hallway, but said nothing. Colette sat down on her knees in front of Lara and smiled. "I was shocked when you did that." She said.

Lara looked at her. "When I did what?"

Colette's eyes widened. "When you ran down the hall like that. I thought something bad was going to happen, but you made it to the other side." She said.

Lara smiled. "I might not be the fastest person back home, but I did run track for a bit. I didn't like it much, so I gave it up to focus on other things. But I still run now and then so I don't get too slow." She said.

Colette smiled back at her. "That sounds cool. It surprised me how fast you were. I don't think even Lloyd can run that fast."

"Hey!" Lloyd protested from nearby. Colette laughed. "Well, yeah, actually. I'm not a bad runner, but even I have to admit, I think you're faster than me Lara." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Lara started laughing as well. "I think you shouldn't have been so reckless." A softer voice spoke from behind Colette. She turned around and saw Eva standing there, her face was paler than Lara's and she hadn't been hurt.

Lara stopped laughing and looked at her. "Someone had to do it. The switch to turn off the traps was on this side."

Eva frowned and her stance changed. "Yes, but Kratos knew the traps were there. He probably saw the pressure plates and could have easily avoided them instead. You didn't have to go running down the hallway like in some stupid action film!" She yelled and stormed off a little ways.

"She's really mad." Lloyd said.

Lara shook her head. "Nah. She's just worried about me." She said. "I would have reacted the same way if she were in my place."

Colette looked at her and smiled. "You two are really close, huh?"

Lara smiled. "Yeah, she's like a sister to me. When no one else would, Eva talked to me and became my friend. That's why I always treated her with the same respect."

"That is certainly good of you." Raine said from the side. Lara just nodded a reply.

They all sat in silence for a while, until Colette noticed a light humming. "What's that?" She asked.

"What's what?" Lloyd and Genis asked in unison.

"Quiet!" Colette hissed at them as she tried to listen. The noise was very faint but she followed it and found Eva. She was standing by herself down the hall, humming a tune she'd never heard before. "That's really pretty." She said.

Eva jumped slightly and spun around too fast before she fell on the ground. "Oh. You startled me." She said softly.

Colette smiled. "I'm sorry. What was that you were humming?" She asked.

"Huh? Oh, it's just a song my mother would use to sing me to sleep." Eva answered, blushing as she got back to her feet. "I don't know the words, only the tune. I like to use it to calm me down."

Colette smiled and hugged her. "The words don't matter, as long as it means something to you." She said.

Eva smiled back. "Thank you."

"Why don't you come back and sit with everyone?" Colette asked. She didn't want her to have to be all alone over here. Everyone else was sitting together and talking, well, Kratos was standing, but he wasn't separated from the group. "Besides, I think you should talk to Lara."

Eva sighed and nodded. "Yes, I know. I should tell her I'm sorry."

Colette nodded. "That's right. Friends shouldn't fight or be angry with one another. It's only sad." She said.

Eva laughed slightly. "Alright." She said and followed Colette back to the group. When they were close enough Eva took a deep breath and sat down in front of Lara. "I'm sorry I spoke to you that way. I was just worried about you." She said.

Lara smiled. "I know. I'll try not to be as reckless from here on out." She said.

Colette felt tears building in her eyes and wiped them away. She didn't want anyone to see her crying, but it was so nice to see them make up as friends again. About a half hour later though, Lara got to her feet and stretched. There wasn't any cringing in pain this time and she smiled. Colette smiled as well, happy that she was feeling better.

"So, are we ready?" Raine asked, looking at Lara.

A smirk flitted across the brunette's face and she nodded. "Yeah, at least I know I am." She said.

With that said, everyone stood up and they started moving again. Lara mentioned that the hall she found the switch in was a dead end, so they followed the other side hall. It grew progressively hotter as they went, despite the fact that they were underground. Colette looked around and saw that everyone was sweating, so she wasn't the only one that was uncomfortable. Even Kratos had sweat on his brow, though he didn't look uncomfortable. She wondered why that would be. He was only human like everyone else after all.

"It's so hot!" Genis complained after a while. They had passed hundreds of new corridors and hallways, but everywhere they turned led to a dead end and they'd had to retrace their steps.

"I know. Why is it so hot here?" Lloyd complained also.

"It probably has something to do with the Seal of Fire." Lara answered.

"Still, it shouldn't be hotter in here than it is outside, right?" Lloyd asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

They came upon a large door and with some effort, Kratos and Lloyd opened it. A wall of heat rushed into the hall and Colette closed her eyes as it hit her. Everyone had felt it and they walked into the new room. The floor... there was no floor, it was all boiling lava, churning red. Colette was surprised by the sight, why was there lava in here?

"There's your answer, Lloyd." Raine said, looking upset by the lava.

"What the-? Why is there lava in here?" Genis asked, giving voice to the thoughts of Colette and possibly everyone in the room.

"This is the Temple of Efreet, the Summon Spirit of Fire." Kratos answered stepping forward towards the ledge. There was a narrow walkway leading to what looked like a warp pad, much like the one in the Martel Temple. "The lava manifested here because of his power thousands of years ago. It also destroyed the city that once existed here." He told them.

"Where did you learn that?" Raine asked.

Kratos looked at her. "You're not the only one interested in history." He said cryptically as he walked out onto the walkway.

It was made of stone and looked sturdy enough. Kratos was likely the heaviest person in the group at the moment, so if it could bear his weight, then the rest of them would be fine. Colette followed him out onto the path. Lara and Lloyd followed after her, and then Eva walked across followed by Raine and Genis. Noishe had stayed at the entrance, refusing to even go down the stairs. Colette tried not to look down at the lava, afraid that if she did, she would lose her balance and fall.

Even as careful as she was, she still tripped near the other side and started falling. Kratos grabbed onto her arm before her feet slipped over the edge and pulled her to safety. Colette looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks." She said softly. He just nodded in reply and waited for the others.

Eva had similar difficulty at the end of the path and fell, but at least she fell forward onto the platform. Lara helped her get back to her feet with a smile.

"Is everyone alright?" Raine asked when she made it to the other side. She looked around and Colette knew she was checking for injuries. "Looks like we're good." She said.

"The seal is up ahead. I think it would be essential for everyone to know how to protect themselves." Kratos said.

Raine looked at him. "What are you suggesting?" Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

Kratos sighed. "I am merely offering to show each of you a self-defense technique you can use to guard against attacks." He answered.

"Sounds useful." Lloyd said. "So... what do we do?"

Kratos nodded. "I'll teach you." He said and showed all of them what to do. It took a couple of tries for everyone to get it right.

"Chosen." Colette looked over at Kratos, a little startled that he was calling her.

"Yes?" She asked.

Kratos looked around at everyone else for a moment and then walked over to the warp pad. "The seal is through here." He said and waited for her.

Colette wrung her hands together and nodded, stepping forward onto the warp. He stepped on with her and they were transported into a different room. It was walled in and there wasn't any lava here, but it was still just as hot as the last room. She stepped off the warp with him and looked back as Lloyd and Lara appeared, then Raine and Genis, and finally Eva stepped through and looked around. Colette smiled at them and turned around, noticing the altar up ahead. "So, um... there?" She asked Kratos.

He nodded once and she swallowed the lump in her throat. Colette stepped forward and suddenly she felt a searing pain in her chest as the crystal started to glow.

"The mana... it's out of control!" Genis said from somewhere behind her.

A red light erupted from the altar and slammed into the floor a few feet ahead of her. Colette just stared at the light as it died down to reveal a large... tiger like creature. She wasn't sure what it was, but the spikes on its head and neck looked very sharp and dangerous.

"Colette, get back here. That's a Ktugach." Raine said, beckoning for Colette to get behind her.

Colette nodded and ran over to stand just behind her teacher. Kratos drew his sword while Lloyd drew his as well. "This is our opponent." Kratos said.

Lloyd smirked. "Heh, just one? This'll be easy." He started to run forward.

"Lloyd!" Kratos yelled at him. "Do you want to get yourself impaled?!" He asked angrily.

Lloyd stared at Kratos for a moment and then looked at the enemy, suddenly noticing the spikes. "No." He answered.

"Then I suggest you listen to me." Kratos said. "Raine, keep the Chosen safe with the tech I just taught you. Genis, use water and ice spells only. Eva, focus on healing. Lara, you keep your distance and attack. Lloyd, keep watch for an opening when it casts a spell. We attack then." He said,

Raine huffed, but nodded. Colette knew she wasn't willing to risk her safety, and as much as she wanted to fight, she also didn't want to distract the others by getting herself hurt. She folded her hands together and prayed silently for everyone.

The Ktugach began casting a spell at the same time that Genis started casting. A second later a fire-ball spell came rushing towards Raine and herself. But Raine raised her staff and shouted "FORCE FIELD!" A barrier appeared around them and stopped the magic dead in its tracks.

Lloyd and Kratos rushed in at the creature as it was recovering from casting. Lara notched an arrow to her bow and waited until Kratos and Lloyd moved out of the way. Lloyd slashed at the creatures' side while Kratos thrust his sword into its chest shouting "Sonic Thrust!"

Genis finished casting at that moment as Kratos and Lloyd jumped away from the enemy. "Aqua Edge!" Three blades of water appeared and went spiraling towards the enemy. The creature roared when the water magic hit, glaring at Genis, it quickly cast another fire-ball spell. "Force Field!" Genis called out just in time, summoning the barrier to protect himself. His eyes were wide in shock.

Lara drew back on the string and focused on her mana. A moment later she released the arrow, shouting "Ice Shot!" The arrow became engulfed in a soft powder blue light. When it hit the Ktugach, the tip exploded with ice and made the creature roar again.

Eva was staying close to Raine and herself, biting her lip as she kept an eye on everyone. It was nice to have more than one person capable of using healing magic, Colette mused silently to herself. Either way one of them would have to protect her and the other would have to focus on healing everyone.

The Ktugach began casting again, but the glyph was larger this time. That meant it was using a more powerful spell. Colette frowned and looked around at everyone fighting, hoping they would be okay.

Lara shot another arrow at the beast, but it wasn't affected by the attack in any way. The glyph disappeared suddenly and Colette frowned, where was the attack going?

"Lloyd!" She heard Kratos yell out and she gasped as the ground beneath Lloyd started to boil. Kratos ran over to him and shouted "Guardian!" just in time. The shield protected both of them as super heated magma and rock bubbled up and erupted around them. Lloyd looked uncomfortable, but they were safe.

"Yah!" Colette turned and saw the Ktugach had turned around and charged at Lara. There was a deep gash on her arm above her black sleeve, and it also looked like her arm was hanging uselessly.

"Oh no!" Colette heard herself say. Things were happening so fast she couldn't react to each new event fast enough.

"Icicle!" Genis called out and three sharp icicles shot forward at the enemy. It reared back in pain and turned around to run at Genis. Lloyd pulled him out of the way just in time though and began slashing at the beasts' side.

"Heh, check this out. Sword Rain!" Lloyd called out. He was glowing with mana as he repeatedly stabbed the Ktugach in the side with his blades. The creature jumped away a bit and glared at him, the glyph appearing below it's feet.

"First Aid!" Eva called out and Lara breathed a sigh of relief and flexed her arm a little. Kratos was standing next to her.

"Thanks for the help." Lara said to him and grabbed her bow from the ground. She reached back and grabbed an arrow and quickly notched it, pulling back on the string. "Aiming Laser!" She shouted and the arrow flew through the air, leaving a glowing trail behind it.

Kratos stayed where he was and began casting as well, a purple glyph appeared below his feet.

The arrow hit the Ktugach, but it was still in the middle of casting, so it didn't even feel the attack. Genis started casting again as well and Lloyd crossed his swords in a defensive stance. Colette took a deep breath and waited for what was going to happen next. The red glyph disappeared and the magic exploded around Lara this time. "Damage Guard!" She cried out, barely in time to protect herself. Her skin looked slightly burned from the attack.

"Aqua Edge!" Genis yelled and sent more water blades flying at the enemy. Kratos finished casting as well with "Thunder Blade!" A large purple sword crashed down from the ceiling and impaled the Ktugach. Shortly after that it exploded with lightning and the creature roared in pain. Lloyd ran forward and thrust his sword forward "Sonic Thrust!"

The Ktugach stumbled forward for a second, it's legs falling out from beneath it. It fell forward as Lloyd jumped out of the way and stopped moving. It's body began to fade away into mana. Colette let out a sigh of relief, not only because everyone had survived, but with the creatures' death, the room had grown cooler.

"Chosen, the altar." Kratos said to her.

"Right." Colette replied and stepped up to the altar. A bright light emanated from the ceiling and she had to shield her eyes until it died down a bit. When she was able to look up again, Remiel was there floating and looking down at her, his face void of emotion.

"Chosen of Regeneration. Offer your prayers." He said.

Colette folded her hands together and took a deep breath. "Oh Goddess Martel, great protector and nurturer of the earth, grant me thy strength." She said, reciting the prayer she'd been taught at a young age. She'd been told that it was necessary to recite the prayer to release the seals if the Oracle ever came.

Remiel nodded as the mana in the room stabilized. "The guardian of the seal has fallen, and the first seal has been released. Efreet will surely awaken soon. In the name of Cruxis, I shall grant you the power of the angels." He lifted his hand slightly.

"Thank you, my lord." Colette said, bowing her head respectfully. Soft lights began to float around her and engulfed her. She gasped as she felt something enter her and then a strange energy surged through her and out her back. Everyone gasped slightly and she felt a light fluttering near her back. Suddenly, without warning she started floating over the ground, looking down at her feet in shock.

She looked up at Remiel as he began to speak again. "The angel transformation will not be without pain. Yet, it is but for one night. Be strong and endure." He said.

Colette nodded, wondering just what kind of pain she would feel. "I humbly accept this trial." She managed to say, putting on a brave front so her friends wouldn't worry about her.

"The next seal lies far to the east, across the sea. Offer your prayers at that altar." He said.

"Yes, Lord Remiel." Colette replied and watched as he disappeared in a brilliant flash of light. She smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. She wondered for a moment how she was going to get back to the ground and figured she might as well try to hold her wings in place. Immediately, she drifted back to the ground and felt solid earth beneath her feet.

"Colette.. you have wings!" Lloyd said in awe.

Colette turned around and smiled at Lloyd. "Yep, I think I can pull them in and out at will too. Watch." She said and focused on her mana. Within seconds she felt the wings slide back in, they were composed of mana after all.

"That's so cool!" Genis exclaimed, his eyes wide with wonder.

Lara and Eva stood back a bit, exchanging an odd look she didn't understand. She pulled her wings out again and made them flutter faster, causing Genis to jump around excitedly.

Lloyd turned to Raine and Kratos. "He said the next seal was across the sea. Does that mean we get to sail on a ship? That sounds like a lot of fun." He said with a smile.

Raine frowned and put a hand to her chin in thought. "A ship... I wonder if there are any ships sailing right now. Especially considering the state of the world." She sighed.

Kratos closed his eyes in thought. "We should head to the coast and see what we can find." He said.

Lara walked over. "Sounds good to me." She said. Her arm was still slightly burned from the Ktugach's last attack on her.

"Colette, I think that's enough. We get it." Lloyd said, sounding a little annoyed.

She stopped using her wings and pulled them back in again, smiling. "Okay, sorry." She said and Genis looked embarrassed.

"Let's start by getting out of here first and stocking up at the oasis." Raine said before walking over to Lara. "Rub this apple gel on your burn. That should help it heal." She said.

Lara nodded and unwrapped the gel before rubbing it over the burn. She grit her teeth a little, but didn't complain about any pain as they all headed out of the room. Colette smiled happily as they headed out. But as they reached the entrance, she felt a sudden searing pain throughout her body. It was like, all her nerves were being fried. It was all she could do not to scream out in pain, and she collapsed to her knees.

"COLETTE!" Lloyd cried out and ran over to her. "We have to get her to a doctor!" He said.

Kratos stepped forward. "It's unwise to move her. Remiel said the transformation would be painful. We just need to let her rest." He said.

Lloyd glared up at him angrily, but said nothing. "Glaring at me isn't going to help her get better." Kratos said.

Colette smiled weakly at him. "I'm sorry, Lloyd."

Lloyd frowned at her and shook his head. "It's not your fault Colette." He replied. "Alright fine, we'll rest here until she's better." He agreed.

"I'll make something to eat." Genis said and started getting the cooking supplies from his pack.

Colette smiled and watched everyone settle down, but she couldn't think straight with this pain. She figured it would be better to just not say anything. After a while, she closed her eyes and rested with her back against the wall. It wasn't until Genis woke her later to eat something that she realized she'd drifted off. The food smelled wonderful, but the scent was a little strong. But she smiled when Genis handed her a plate.

Colette took a bite of food, but... there was something wrong. It smelled great, but there was no taste. And apart from that, she didn't feel hungry. She felt like she'd already had food and what she was eating now would only upset her stomach. She swallowed the food she had in her mouth with difficulty and pushed the food away.

"Colette, aren't you going to eat?" Genis asked, looking concerned.

"I'm not hungry." She told him honestly. Genis frowned and took the plate and ended up giving it to Lloyd, who ate it instead.

Colette smiled and was about to fall back to sleep when she noticed the way Lara was looking at her. It looked like she knew what was happening to her and felt sorry. Colette looked away and sighed. She didn't like where this was going, but she couldn't tell the others about the transformation, that would only make them worry about her. And it was the world that needed saving, not her. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, letting herself drift off to sleep for a little while.

* * *

**And that is where we end this chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Took me long enough to write... kept getting blocked. Anyway, please read, review and like. ^ ^**

**Preferably in that order.**


	8. Assassin

**Well, last chapter was certainly met with a lot of love. I got a favorite author alert, two reviews, a follower and a favorite story alert. You know... I just love you people, and I'm glad that I can write something you enjoy reading. ^ ^**

**I've decided that since my birthday is the 28th, I would work hard for this week to get out a new chapter as fast as possible. And though it's not my birthday yet, here is my gift for you guys. Thanks for being awesome, and I hope you love the new chapter. ^ ^**

**I do not own Tales of Symphonia. That right belongs solely to Namco-Bandai. I do, however, own the OC's that I bring into the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 8 - Assassin**

Two hours later, everyone was getting ready to make the trek back to the Triet oasis. Lloyd was still in a pretty bad mood over having to wait for Colette to get better. Couldn't they have gotten her to a doctor? Or, better yet, why hadn't the Professor thought of trying to heal her? It just... made him mad that he'd had to wait. But he wasn't too upset, he had gotten a chance to talk more with Lara and her friend Eva. It was clear they had known each other since childhood, and true to Lara's claim, they acted like sisters. It made him happy to see, especially considering Eva was a half-elf.

He hated the Desians, but Eva, she wasn't anything like them. She was kind and sweet, and enjoyed helping others instead of hurting them. She didn't judge anyone based on race or appearance. He found that she was easy to like, a lot like Colette, even. Although Colette was always smiling and making everyone else happy, Eva did have moments where she would look sad or remember something that was painful to her. She must not have had an easy life, even with Lara for a friend. He thought about all of that as everyone got ready.

"So, we're heading back to the oasis." Raine said, and when Lara looked like she was going to protest, the Professor raised a hand to stop her. "We need to go there to replenish our water supply. Without it we won't make it any farther." She said.

He noticed Lara bit her lip, he recognized it as being a nervous habit. She was probably just really worried about the Desians. They had gone to the oasis to look for them, but that had been late last night. It was almost mid-day now, so they should have cleared out of the oasis by now.

"Is everyone ready?" Kratos asked, looking around at everyone.

Lloyd smiled widely and nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready." He answered easily.

Colette was back on her feet, looking a whole lot better than before. She wasn't pale and sweaty anymore and had a smile on her face. "I'm all set." She answered happily.

Genis yawned a little but nodded his head in response. While Lara and Eva both nodded without saying anything.

"Alright. We're going." Kratos said and began heading up the stairs.

Lloyd knew those stairs led out into the sun's intense heat, but he still wanted to be out of this underground tunnel. Despite the heat, it would be good to be back in fresh air. He followed the older man up the stairs and stretched when he felt the wind blow around him outside. The sun was hotter than this morning, but he couldn't complain right now. It felt good to be outside.

He looked back and saw the others coming up the stairs and walked out of the way for them. Colette nearly tripped on the top step and tumbled backwards, but Lara steadied her by putting a hand on her back. He sighed in relief at that, he didn't want his best friend to get hurt again. It was bad enough when she tripped over nothing at all, but put stairs in front of her and she was usually a wreck.

As soon as everyone was outside, they started walking back towards the oasis. Noishe ran over and whined at him and Lloyd smiled, patting the dog's head. Noishe didn't always like other people, and usually stayed away when they were walking, but he'd return sometimes. Lloyd guessed the dog was keeping an eye on them, and he was good for monster detection sometimes too. He would always run away when monsters got too close. Noishe walked away from him and found a place to walk between Lara and Eva. Lloyd looked back at his dog and wondered about that, the animal hardly knew either girl, but seemed really comfortable around them. He shrugged and decided it was better not to worry about it.

Walking, his foot started to sink in the sand a bit and he jumped back, managing to pull his boot free. He'd almost completely forgotten about the loose, shifty sand. This was going to be a pain, walking back to the oasis. He thought about asking Noishe for a ride, but didn't think the dog would appreciate it. Noishe had given him and his friends rides before, but that was back in Iselia, and it was hot out here. Yeah, he would save asking his pet for a ride until later. Genis was the one who would need the rides the most anyway.

About an hour later, maybe more, he wasn't a good judge of time or distances, but he could see the oasis up ahead. "I can't wait to sleep in a proper bed." He said.

Raine looked over at him. "What makes you think we'll be staying at the oasis for the night?" She asked.

Lloyd stared at her, confused. Why wouldn't they be staying at the oasis? Colette still needed to recover her strength a bit, right? "Well, I thought... Colette should recover more." He said.

Raine frowned for a moment and then nodded. "Of course. Then we'll stay at the Inn. I still have the rooms rented of course. Genis, Lloyd, you can share a room with Kratos." She said.

"Yeah, okay." Lloyd replied, he didn't really want to, but it sounded like the Professor had rented only two rooms. So the girls would be in one room and the guys would be in the other. Kratos was... annoying, but he wasn't a bad guy, and he was a decent fighter. Lloyd didn't want to admit that Kratos was so much stronger than him, even though he knew it was true. The guy had clearly been fighting for a lot longer than himself.

Genis looked upset with the new information, but didn't bother arguing with his sister. Lloyd wondered what Colette, Lara and Eva thought about staying in a room together. If him and Genis hadn't left Iselia and come here it probably would have just been Raine, Lara and Colette. But Lara had been caught by the Desians, so what if they hadn't gone to rescue him? Would that have left Lara captured? He shuddered to think of what might have happened.

"I have enough to rent an extra room." Lara spoke up from behind him.

Lloyd turned to look at her and noticed Raine was frowning slightly. "Where did you get gald?" She asked. He was a little curious about that as well.

"Well, when we fought those monsters last night. One of them dropped it after it died." She explained.

Raine looked skeptical. "Where would a monster have gotten gald?"

Lara shrugged. "I don't know, and I don't really care. It gives us the option of having an extra room. I can rent it for myself and Eva." She said.

Raine sighed. "Yes, I suppose. The room will be less cramped that way." She agreed. "Alright, you pay for your own room then."

Lara nodded and smiled. "Will do." She replied happily and kept walking.

"Well, I'm still looking forward to that bed." Lloyd said.

"Yeah, me too." Genis said and started running for the entrance to the oasis.

"Genis, don't run! You'll fall and hurt yourself!" Raine called out after him, walking faster to keep up with the younger elf.

"I will not!" Genis called back and fell over.

It was mean, but Lloyd couldn't help but laugh. He tried to cover his mouth and stop the fit, but it was funny. Genis glared at him while Raine knelt over the boy and fussed over the scrape on his knee.

"I told you." She said fiercely, though her expression was soft with worry.

"What sisterly love." Lara said, watching the scene.

"Yeah, but she's always looking out for Genis." Lloyd responded with shrug.

Lara laughed. "Still, it's nice to see." She said and walked by him.

After Genis was taken care of, they walked into the oasis and headed to the Inn. True to her word, Lara walked over to the receptionist and rented another room for Eva and herself. They had a few hours to kill before sunset, so Raine split up their money and told them to go walk around. Lloyd left the Inn with Genis and Colette and they headed for the marketplace. Down there, Lloyd noticed the house with the broken wall again and frowned.

"Hey, Colette... did you...?" He started to ask when the girl by the house looked over at them.

"Oh, Chosen One. I want to thank you." The girl said. "Ever since you fell through my wall, I've made a lot of money with the tourists." She said with a wide grin on her face.

Colette laughed nervously. "Oh, well I'm happy to help." She said.

The girl nodded at her response and then looked at the nearest tourists, waving them over with a smile. Lloyd thought it was ridiculous to charge people just to look at a human shaped hole in a wall. Honestly, it could have been made by any person in the world, but by claiming it as the Chosen's shape she could make money off of it. It didn't seem right, even if Colette _had_ broken the wall.

"Hey, you!" A voice called out from nearby.

Lloyd turned and noticed a bulky guy at a nearby stall. His skin was deeply tanned from the sun and he had burn marks all over, probably from working a forge. Lloyd was curious now and walked over. "Did you call me?" He asked.

"Yeah, I was noticing those swords of yours." The man replied. "May I have a look at them?"

Lloyd gripped the hilts of his swords, unsure. Lara had given them to him in exchange for buying her new clothes and the bow she was currently using. "Umm, yeah, I guess." He said, handing them over. He watched the guy carefully.

The man drew the blades and examined them closely. "These are exceptional." He said, testing a swing. "Looks like Dwarven craftsmanship." He added after more examination. "I can't say you'll find any weapons better than those, save for fine Dwarven blades." The man said, handing the weapons back to him.

Lloyd was surprised by that, where had Lara gotten dwarven swords? His dad, Dirk, was a dwarf, but he didn't recall him ever making swords like these. Was there another dwarf somewhere in the world? It was something to hope for. "Thanks." He said to the guy.

"I asked you over here for another reason." The main said. "I wanted to talk to you about customizing."

"Customizing? What's that?" Colette asked, walking over.

The man smiled at her. "It's about creating more powerful weapons, young lady. If you have certain items known as ingredients, you can use them to customize your gear. Mostly that means your weapons, and make them stronger." He said. "If you find any ingredients, come see me again and I'll customize your weapons, free of charge."

"Wow, that's awfully nice of you." Colette smiled. "We'll come back if we find anything, right Lloyd?" She asked.

He nodded absently, still thinking over what the man had said about the swords. "Colette, where do you want to go?" He heard Genis ask.

"Hmm, I dunno. We saw the prophet the last time we were here. She told us about the ruins." Colette said. "I wonder if she does other readings."

"Like what kind of readings?" Genis asked, frowning.

"Like... about your future... or like... soul mates or something." Colette answered, sounding unsure. "Lloyd, what do you want to do?" She asked.

Lloyd looked over at his friends and frowned for a moment. "Um..." He scratched the back of his head. "This prophet sounds cool." He said.

Colette smiled brightly. "Alright, let's go there." She said and led the way.

* * *

They now had some money to spend, but... she didn't want to go out and spend it. Even Lara wanted to stay indoors right now, and she couldn't blame her. Both of them had been through a lot. Eva was worried the villagers might realize she was back here and come after her, so she wanted to stay out of sight as much as possible. The only consolation right now was that the receptionist didn't know who she was. It was the only thing she could be thankful of at the moment though.

Lara was laying back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, probably lost in thought over their escape and the fire seal. Eva was still in shock that everything had happened, and so quickly. She was also a little worried about running into the renegades here. What if Yuan himself came looking for them? What if he managed to capture her, or even Lara? It was a risky gamble to come back here, but they did need to replenish their water supply. Without enough water, they wouldn't reach the Ossa trail.

Of course, no one was supposed to know exactly where they were going to next. Kratos obviously knew what direction to go in, and herself and Lara knew because of the game, but... she sighed. All this knowledge of the world and what was supposed to happen, and yet neither of them could talk about it. She supposed subtle hints would help and if they started going down the wrong path, they could help to steer the group in the right direction.

As she was lost in thought, she felt her stomach rumble and frowned. They had eaten at the ruins, but that felt like ages ago, especially after hiking through the desert.

"You're hungry too, huh?" Lara asked from the other bed.

Eva glanced over at her best friend and smiled. "Yeah, I guess. I don't want to leave the Inn though."

"They should have a kitchen." Lara answered. "I'll go find something to eat, okay?"

Eva nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she didn't have to leave the room. She wasn't sure why she felt so paranoid about the oasis, but the way the people had reacted to her last time. It wasn't easy to get that encounter out of her head. "Yeah, thanks Lara." Eva said.

Lara just smiled and headed for the door. "Don't go anywhere while I'm gone, okay?" She said jokingly and left the room.

Eva laughed to herself and let herself fall back on the bed. There was nothing wrong with taking a nap right now, was there? Surely there wasn't, so she might as well rest until Lara came back with food. She closed her eyes and let herself drift to sleep.

* * *

She closed the door behind her softly and looked around. Their room was on the lower level of the Inn, and there were a few doors to other rooms. Lara bit her lip and approached the receptionist. "Excuse me, but is there a kitchen here?" She asked.

The girl looked up from the desk and frowned, her brows furrowed in thought. "Yes, I believe so. Take that door there and down the hall. It should be the last door on your right." She told her.

"Thanks." Lara said, smiling at the girl. She walked over to the new door and heard the door to the outside open. Being a curious creature, she couldn't help but turn to see who had just walked in the door. She knew Kratos and Raine had gone out to the dock to get more water for the canteens. So it was just Eva and herself in the Inn right now. She felt a knot twist in the pit of her stomach when she saw who had walked in. Whoever he was, he was a renegade. The uniform was pretty obvious.

The renegade walked towards the desk and then glanced in her direction. Lara tensed, waiting to see what he would do, though she knew her gut instinct was telling her to run. Her brain just hadn't caught the message yet. As soon as the renegade turned towards her, however, she darted through the nearest door and down the hall. She heard running footsteps and a slammed door behind her. She took the last door on her right and closed the door, barring it in place. Lucky the door even had a bar.

After that she turned and looked around, searching for an exit. There was one window at the far corner of the room. It was too far, and a little too high up. She would need something to stand on if she was ever going to get out of here without being caught. Lara grabbed a wooden table and dragged it to the corner, it screeched as it moved across the floor. She could hear the renegade ramming into the door, trying to break it down. She had to act fast. "Dammit! Why is this table so heavy?" She wondered aloud as she finally got it pushed into the corner under the window. Her skin was covered in sweat and she cursed inwardly as she struggled to climb on top of the table.

Lara moved over to the window and with a bit of effort, managed to open it far enough that she could squeeze through it. She reached up to the ledge and tried to find a foothold to pull herself up. At that moment, the door finally broke down and smashed inward. Startled, her foot slipped and she had to try again. She ground her teeth together with the effort and was almost high enough to push through the window when a hand grabbed her ankle.

She let out a shocked gasp as she was pulled down from the sill and fell onto the table... hard. Another hand grabbed her arm and pinned her in place and Lara opened her mouth to scream, but a hand covered her mouth. She tried to kick, but she was in an awkward position and only ended up hurting her leg on the edge of the table. She struggled to break free of the renegade's grip, but he was a lot stronger than her.

"You're not getting away this time." A familiar voice said from beneath the mask.

Lara instantly stopped struggling and her eyes widened in shocked horror. Yuan? He was dressed as an ordinary renegade... it was no wonder why she couldn't get away from him. She stared at the helmet and after a moment realized she recognized the lower half of his face. That made her blush and she tried to look away, but he... he was holding her in place. She did the one thing she could think of that would allow her to move her head... and possibly let her scream...

* * *

_So easy..._ He thought to himself. He hadn't actually expected to run into her on his trip to the oasis. He hadn't really expected to run into their group at all, but he figured he would give it a try. The Inn was the first place to look, and so he'd gone there, but he hadn't believed he would find her so soon. So easy. But there she stood, of course as soon as he started walking towards her, she ran.

It was a natural reaction, he was dressed as a common renegade, and she probably thought he was a desian. Either way, the chase would be fun. She was faster than he'd realized, but then, he hadn't really seen her run full out before. Except for when she ran into him at the base, but she had turned a corner then and he hadn't actually seen her coming. She got through the last door and closed it, even barring the door from the inside.

"Now that's not fair." He said softly to himself. He raised his hand and summoned the Swallow, his dual blade and hacked at the door. It would have to give eventually, and he would catch her.

'_Ssskkrrrrrrrrtttt!_' Yuan frowned, that sounded like... moving furniture. "Oh hell no." He said allowed and renewed his attack against the door. He wasn't going to just let her get away, not this time.

Finally the door gave way beneath his assault and fell open. Yuan walked into the room to see her trying to climb out the window on the far side of the room. She slipped slightly, which meant she had to start over. He ran over and grabbed onto her ankle, pulling her away from the window. She hit the table and he pinned her down, covering her mouth as she opened it to scream. He felt pretty victorious at this point, now that he had her, but she was struggling to get away.

"You're not getting away this time." He said to her and immediately she stopped struggling, her eyes widening with shock. He was both glad and surprised that she recognized his voice so easily. He was feeling pretty confident about capturing her until she... licked, his hand.

"Ugh!" He couldn't help but cry out in disgust as he pulled his hand away to wipe it on his pants.

She opened her mouth to scream again, this time drawing in breath and he knew he had to stop her. He reacted without thinking, not the best idea for him, but at least he reacted fast enough to stop her from screaming...

* * *

_Yes!_ She thought with excitement as her idea worked. Yuan pulled his hand off her mouth to wipe the saliva off. He wouldn't likely fall for that trick again, but at least she had a chance to scream now. Lara opened her mouth to scream, drawing in breath in preparation when... when he... he...

She was genuinely shocked, horrified, and happy all in one moment. She felt... there was a strange feeling floating around in her stomach. It... was like butterflies, but they were fluttering around and it made her feel giddy.

Yuan was... kissing her. He'd... he had _kissed her._ Sure it was to keep her from screaming, but... she couldn't find any reason to complain. She still wanted to escape, but... but this feeling. Something was coming alive inside of her. Though she gave no command to her body, she leaned into the kiss and lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck. But before she could get a hold of him, he reacted again and pulled away from her.

Lara lay on the table, dazed and confused by what had just happened. Yuan was standing away from the table, the helmet slanted on his head. She sat up slowly and stared at him, trying to understand what had caused him to pull away. Sure it was probably wrong on so many levels, but... it had felt so... _right_. Slowly her head started working again.

"What the HELL?!" She yelled at him, still sitting on the table.

He jumped slightly and then reached up to pull the helmet off. His expression was calm, controlled, as he looked at her. Lara bit her lip and waited for a response, but it didn't look like he was going to answer. She looked away from him, frowning, her thoughts were in turmoil and the butterflies in her stomach were frantic.

She heard footsteps and looked up as he approached her again, his eyes narrowed. Lara felt a knot twist in her stomach and she tried to swallow the lump growing in her throat. "Ah!" She gasped as he gripped her arm tightly and pulled her off the table.

"Come quietly." He said simply, but she felt the implied words, _Or else_.

Kratos and Raine wouldn't be back yet, and she didn't know when Lloyd and his friends would be back. Lara turned her head away from him and nodded once, closing her eyes. He pulled her along and even though he wasn't forcing her to be quiet, she didn't feel the need to scream anymore. She hardly felt anything at all. Her brain felt fried enough as it was just from his kiss. As he led her out of the oasis, she lifted a hand and touched her lips, there was a lingering feeling she couldn't get rid of. Her lip trembled and she noticed a slight glow on the sand.

Shocked, she looked behind her and saw that he had pulled his wings out. They were a startling violet in color, not like in the game. There wasn't any pink tint to them at all. He swept her feet off the ground and took to the air. Instinctively she wrapped her arms around his neck just in case and buried her head between her arms and his chest. She didn't want to chance looking down. Neither of them said anything until he landed at the base and put his helmet back on. Wordlessly, he led her inside and back to the room beyond his office.

She was a little surprised that he wasn't going to keep her locked up in the prison area, but she bit her lip and just sat down on the bed, staring at the wall until he left her alone and locked the door behind him. Alone, she finally felt the need to break down and cry. Lara buried her face in the nearest pillow and let the tears come. Why did she have to have such bad luck? Just what had she done in her previous life to deserve it?

After an hour or two, it was hard to tell without a clock or window to tell time by, she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

He left her to her own devices for now and simply locked the door. When he sat down at his desk, however, he searched through his recent memories. She hadn't been all that shocked when he'd pulled out his wings to fly to the base. Surely anyone else from the Chosen's group, aside from Kratos and possibly Eva, would have been... well, their reactions would have been stronger than that. He felt sure of it now, Lara and Eva already knew who he was and exactly what he was. The only consolation he felt was that Kratos didn't already know that he was the leader of the Renegades.

He doubted Eva would tell Kratos about that, but then he couldn't be sure of what the girl would do. She was unpredictable, despite her personality, he couldn't begin to imagine what she might be capable of. Lara seemed a bit more predictable, she was smart and skilled, but also reckless and stubborn. She easily shared traits from Kratos and her mother, Anna, as was as traits he could link to her brother, Lloyd. Catching her had been a bit too easy, but that wasn't something to complain about, especially now that she was in his custody. Kratos might not know the girl was his daughter, but he had proof, and once Kratos saw it... well, it might be possible to bargain with Kratos.

Yuan sighed. He would feel better about this if he had Lloyd as well, but that would have to wait until later. At least, he should be able to keep Lara here until he managed to capture her brother. He grabbed the folder and looked at her blood test results again. She seemed to know already, but probably wasn't one hundred percent certain of her bloodline. Yuan thought about telling her and frowned. He punched in the code on the keyboard and the monitor rose out of the desk and turned on. Lara was lying on the bed, asleep. He turned off the feed again and decided he would tell her, but after she was awake... and calm.

* * *

"It's getting late." Raine said with a sigh.

Kratos looked over at her and nodded before heading back to the Inn. They had finished filling the canteens a while ago, and then gone to buy more supplies. Food and gels and other items that might be useful. Currently he was concerned about Lara. That girl had gotten into trouble the last time, who was to say it wouldn't happen again? He looked at the white haired half-elf.

"You head back to the Inn. There's something I need to do alone." He said to her.

Raine just stared at him for a long moment before she nodded and walked away towards the Inn.

The prophet had predicted that Lara would get into trouble the last time, perhaps she would be able to see it happening again. He hoped so. It was hard to believe in a gift like that, but she had been right the first time. Considering that, he wasn't as much of a skeptic as he had been before.

He heard laughter as he got closer to the tent and recognized the individual voices. Kratos frowned for a moment and stood there, just listening to his son's voice. He sighed and a moment later Lloyd came out of the tent with Genis and Colette, all of them smiling. Lloyd noticed him and stopped.

"Oh, Kratos. What are you doing here?" Lloyd asked.

Kratos looked at the boy. "I'm looking for something I dropped earlier." He lied.

"Oh, well I hope you find it." Lloyd said and left with the other two.

Kratos waited until they were gone before going into the tent. The robust woman was there, and she smiled as she looked up at him. "I knew you would return." She said mysteriously. "I sense you still have your doubts, though."

"Last time you predicted one of our companions would get into trouble." He said to her.

The woman looked at his face and then turned her gaze to the crystal ball in front of her. "Yes. Lara. From your first visit I sensed that she had a knack for seeking out trouble. I was wrong about that." Kratos relaxed a little but what she said next unsettled him. "It is not so much that she goes looking for trouble, but rather trouble comes looking for her." The woman said. "Visions are not always exact, but... I see trouble has found her again. When you return to your companions, you will find her missing." She pulled her gaze away from the crystal ball. "I am sorry."

Kratos felt a tightness in his chest, but kept his expression calm and nodded to the woman. "Thank you for you time." He said and left the tent. If Lara was in trouble again, it had to be the renegades. She had been right to be worried about returning to the oasis.

When he walked into the Inn, he noticed everyone was sitting in the main room. Lloyd looked unhappy, as did Colette and Genis. Raine looked troubled and Eva... he noticed the girl looked outright distraught. There was no sign of Lara, apart from the ivory bow and quiver clutched tightly in Eva's hands. Lara didn't even have her weapon with her, and that only worried him more. He walked over, trying to detach himself. "Where is Lara?" He asked, but when no one said anything he sighed. "She's missing, isn't she?" He asked.

"It would appear that way." Raine said. "Eva, why don't you tell him?"

Eva looked up from the bow, her eyes were red from crying. Her lips quivered for a moment before she took a deep breath to calm herself. "Lara and I were hungry, but I didn't want to leave the room. So she said she would go looking for the kitchen. Later, when Raine came back, she woke me up to ask where she was and... and..." She froze, unable to talk anymore.

Raine sighed and pat the girl on the back. "I spoke with the receptionist. She said Lara asked for the kitchen and she gave her directions. Shortly after that, a Desian came in and chased Lara down the back hallway. The kitchen door was broken off it's hinges, and there is a table by the corner window. Either Lara got away, or she was captured." She finished.

Kratos frowned, the situation didn't sound very good.

Lloyd slammed a fist on the table they were sitting at. "Professor, can't we go looking for her?" He asked.

Raine shook her head. "I told you no, Lloyd. We don't have the time." She answered.

"But she could be out there! Or worse, she could be captured! We can't just let the Desians have her!" The boy shouted.

"And we have a journey to finish!" Raine yelled back, standing from her seat she slammed her hand on the table. "I am sorry about Lara, but she understood the risks of this journey. We don't have any time to waste. Besides, the sooner we finish this journey, the sooner we can turn around and rescue her."

"But-!" Raine cut him off with a gesture and Lloyd sat down, defeated.

"She's right. We don't have time to waste to go save her." Kratos said.

Lloyd turned and glared at him for a moment, but the expression died when Kratos glared back at him. Even Lloyd had to realize that the regeneration of the world had to come first. It was unfortunate that Lara was missing and probably captured by Yuan... again, but it was something they would have to deal with this time.

"It's late and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Lloyd, Genis, you should get some sleep. Eva, why don't you stay with Colette and me?" Raine suggested.

Eva nodded absently, though Kratos was sure she was barely listening. Lara's absence clearly bothered her more than anyone else. He wondered about that, just how close were the two girls? And exactly where did they come from? Neither of them had mentioned a name for the 'village' they grew up in. But now really wasn't the time to worry over trivial details. He ushered Lloyd and Genis ahead of him to the room they would be sharing.

"Sleep well." He said to the girls before heading up the stairs and closing the door. He let the two boys take the beds and just sat on a chair, trying to think over what had happened. When he couldn't make sense of it he quietly left the room and headed for the kitchen.

The door was not only broken off the hinges but had telltale marks in the wood. From either a sword or axe, or even something larger. He thought of Yuan's weapon and sighed before stepping into the room. The wooden table was still by the corner where the window was. The scraped floor was clear indication that it had been dragged over to get to the window. Lara was certainly resourceful, and the window was opened wide enough that she might have been able to slip through.

He walked over to the corner and examined it carefully, certain that maybe she had escaped, until he noticed the paint chips on the edge of the table. She had tried to climb up to the sill, but slipped, scraping the paint. It was then that he noticed the small stain of blood on the edge of the table. She had fallen, or been pulled down and struggled while laying on the table, cutting her leg on the edge. It was then he noticed the footprints in the dust. Two pairs came into the room and two pairs walked out of the room. He frowned, knowing that with this evidence, Lara was definitely taken.

This was not a good sign, but... at least Lloyd was safe. He didn't like having to put one of them over the other, but he knew that Yuan was not likely to kill Lara unless it could further his goals. So, although she wasn't exactly safe, she would be safe enough. He sighed and walked back to the main area to go outside. Noishe was sleeping over in the stable, but woke up as he approached.

He didn't have anything to talk about, but it was comforting just to be around the protozoan. He just... needed time to think. He heard footsteps approaching from behind him and drew his sword, turning in a flash. When he saw Lloyd he stopped his arm just in time for the blade to stop at the boy's neck.

"Woah!" Lloyd cried out, his muscles tensed.

Kratos sighed and sheathed his sword. "You shouldn't walk up behind me." He said and turned back to look at Noishe, though he kept an eye on Lloyd who walked over to the stable as well.

"Sorry, I saw you come out here and I was curious." Lloyd said. "Is something wrong?"

"No, Lloyd. I just had trouble sleeping." He answered. The boy was quiet for a while, just standing next to him.

"Kratos, there's something I want to ask you." Lloyd seemed hesitant.

"What is it?" He asked, raising a brow slightly.

"Well... you're um... you're a really good swordsman and I was wondering... if you would... train me." Lloyd spoke slowly, to make sure he got the words out right.

It wasn't easy for the boy to admit there was someone stronger than him. Kratos sighed and turned to look at the sky. "What reason do you have to ask me?"

"Well, I want to get stronger." He answered easily.

"Yes, but why? For what reason do you want to get stronger?" Kratos asked this time. He would be more than happy to train his son and help him grow stronger, but he wanted to make sure Lloyd had a good reason to learn. Strength without heart only led to... well, it had led to the current system. Mithos had been the first and last person he'd trained.. at least formally.

"It's... to protect Colette." Lloyd finally answered. "I want to become strong enough that I can protect her, no matter what happens."

Kratos mulled that thought over for a while and eventually smiled. "Alright, then I'll teach you." He said.

"R-really?" Lloyd asked, looking excited.

"Yes. But understand that this training won't be easy. If you give up, even just once, I won't continue to teach you." Kratos said.

"Yeah, of course. I won't ever give up." Lloyd grinned.

"Good, now go get some sleep. Your training starts before dawn." Kratos told him.

Lloyd frowned, but nodded. "Alright. You try to get some sleep too." He said and walked back to the Inn.

Kratos sighed when he was gone and put a hand to his head. "Just what am I getting myself into?" He wondered aloud. Noishe whined at him and he smiled, patting the creature on the head. "You'll at least keep an eye on Lloyd for me, right?" He asked. The protozoan nudged his hand and whined again as if to agree and he nodded as well, heading back to the Inn. It was going to be a long night, and tomorrow was going to be an even longer day.

* * *

She was ready for this mission, she had to be. The fate of her world and everyone living in it... that weight rested on her shoulders. She couldn't fail. The Chosen of Sylvarant... had to die. For the sake of her homeland, she was prepared for the risks. And so, when the task had been brought before her, she had accepted.

Sheena followed the strange half-elf back to their base on a small frozen island off the coast of Flanoir. Apparently, she was going to have to travel to the other world through a _dimensional distortion_, whatever the heck that was supposed to mean. It was too complicated for her to understand, but she had a task to follow. So she wasn't going to complain about it.

"Our intelligence is that the Chosen has released the first seal." The renegade told her. "Which means she will be travelling to the Ossa Trail. Head there through the mountain path and head them off."

Sheena just nodded her head once and took a deep breath. This wasn't going to be pleasant, but it was necessary, she thought. The half-elf pointed out the strange vehicle in the center of the room. It looked like some kind of metal bird. "The Rheaird will most likely fail in the other world, but it should get you to the mountain pass without much difficulty." He said.

"Enough explaining. I have a job to do, remember?" She said, starting to get annoyed. She approached the metal bird, which was apparently called a Rheaird and stepped onto it, grabbing hold of the controls. "Time to go."

She felt the flying machine power up and held on tight as it launched through a tunnel into the air outside. It was a bit cold for her tastes, but she experimented with the flight controls until she knew what she was doing and turned to look at the base. She could see the... distortion thing over it and took one deep breath. "This is for Tethe'alla." She said to assure herself that everything would be alright. She gunned the controls and flew into the distortion.

A few things happened to her. First she felt fine and wondered why she'd been worried about this, but then... she felt a tingling in her body. It felt like her molecules were being rearranged, or separated. Sheena grit her teeth and tried to focus on keeping herself together. Suddenly, she felt completely solid, but something slid over her skin, like a veil of some sort. Everything around her was nothing but a black void, but there was a strange smoky feeling to the air around her. It almost felt like she was swimming through water, and then she hit another veil. It was thicker than the first and she had the vague impression that she was passing through some kind of thick gelatin. Finally, she broke free and she saw sunlight, and felt the heat of the sun on her skin.

She looked below and saw the desert and smiled. She was in Sylvarant. The engine of the Rheaird shuddered and she knew she only had so much time to pilot the damned thing before it crashed on her. She headed for the mountains nearby. As soon as she started losing altitude, she worried about what would happen if she crashed. She could easily die if she didn't do something about it.

But that wouldn't happen. She was a ninja, trained in the ancient secretive ways of her people. That and she still had a few guardians left over from her deck of cards, and those would surely keep her from hitting the ground too hard. At almost the last second she grabbed the guardian card and jumped from the Rheaird. It crashed into the side of the mountain and Sheena focused her energy on the card. She held it aloft in the air and made a few hand signs before releasing the guardian. It caught her before she could crash into the ground herself and let her down gently on a cliff overlooking the path below.

Sheena sighed and slumped back against the rock and smiled, feeling grateful that her reflexes hadn't failed her. A split-second had separated her life or death moment, and she had acted fast enough. She needed a little time to rest, so she reached into her pocket and pulled out a wrapper. "A snack will help." She muttered to herself and ripped open the wrapper. She ate slowly to savor the taste, but she didn't want to relax too much. The Chosen would come this way, and she would need to be ready at a moment's notice.

"This is the Ossa Trail." A deep masculine voice said from down below.

Sheena paused and peered over the edge of the cliff to see a group of people. A teenage boy with chocolate brown hair wearing a thick red jacket and gloves with baggy dark colored pants and red boots. _What a strange outfit._ She mused to herself and looked over the others. The one who had spoken was probably the taller, older male with short auburn hair. He wore a purple outfit and carried himself like a soldier. She would have to be careful around him.

The youngest member of the group was a boy with white hair dressed in blue. He resembled an elf and could probably use magic as well. Then she noticed the white-haired woman and guessed the two were related. The woman carried a staff and wore an orange overcoat with baggy black pants a white tunic and white shoes. She looked a bit more experienced and had a calm expression. _Another one to be wary of,_ she thought and noticed two more girls. One had long light green hair and green eyes, ears slightly pointed, so probably an elf or half-elf. She was wearing a green outfit to match her hair, almost. The girl was carrying a staff and had an ivory bow strapped over her shoulder, but it didn't look like she was going to be using it as a weapon. _Could the bow be for another companion?_ She wondered.

There was only one other girl with them, with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a white and blue outfit that resembled a priestess of some kind. Then, Sheena noticed the ruby red gem on the girl's chest. Her eyes narrowed immediately, this must be the Chosen's group. The blonde stepped forward of everyone else and Sheena smiled to herself. This was going to be easy.

"Wow, it's really steep." The blonde said.

Sheena decided she would at least show herself. She gathered herself and jumped down the cliff, landing neatly on her feet at the bottom. She straightened herself to look at the group, keeping a straight face as she addressed them. "Is the Chosen of Mana among you?" She asked, pretending like she didn't already know.

The blonde smiled and stepped forward. "Oh, yes. That would be me." She said happily.

Sheena smirked and pulled out her cards. "Nothing personal, but you need to die!" She yelled out and sprinted at the girl.

The blonde's eyes widened in shock and she took a step backward. Apparently she wasn't too steady on her feet and fell backwards. This would be the easiest assassination ever. But the girl's arms flailed slightly and hit... a lever.

Suddenly the ground opened up in front of her and Sheena tried to stop herself, but she had too much momentum. Without warning, she slid to a stop only to fall into the hole in the ground. "Ahh!" She cried out, trying to grab the ledge, but the grass hanging over it was too slick and slipped through her fingers. For the second time, she found herself free falling, maybe to her death.

"Oh no." She heard the blonde's voice drift through the opening of the hole.

"I hope she's okay." She heard a guy say.

She didn't hear anything else and suddenly she landed on the ground. Her legs buckled beneath her and she fell face first into the dirt. It was hard to stay awake, and she was in pain, but she couldn't give in. There was too much at stake here. Sheena pulled a gel out of her pocket and popped it into her mouth. The effect was immediate enough and the pain dulled to a slight ache in her bones. She got to her feet and used the nearby wall to steady herself.

First, she needed to find a way out of this underground tunnel. Then she could focus on trying to kill the Chosen.

* * *

Even after a full night's sleep, neither Raine nor Kratos had changed their minds about not rescuing Lara. Lloyd was clearly still upset over that decision. But she noticed a difference in his composure. Eva judged that he'd spoken to Kratos last night, partly because when she woke this morning, she had found the two of them coming back to the Inn. She sighed, knowing that they had probably been training outside before everyone woke up, but she was a light sleeper, usually.

After they came back, they woke up Genis and she woke up Raine and Colette and the group had set out early to head for the Ossa Trail. Eva had looked back a couple of times, tempted to go off on her own to find and rescue Lara, but apparently Kratos was watching her. The moment she had tried to turn back around, Kratos had been there to grab her arm and stop her.

"You can't rescue her alone." He said firmly. "If you go back there, they'll only capture you as well and then where will you be?" He asked.

He was absolutely right of course, she couldn't go back to look for her friend. She would only get herself into trouble as well, and that wasn't the kind of thing she did. But... her friend was there. Eva was too worried to think rationally, but she was also scared of what might happen. And so, against her own feelings, she had followed the others through the desert to the Ossa Trail. And, as if on cue, Sheena appeared and tried to attack. Thankfully this place was a lot like the game and Colette opened the shaft on accident, thus saving her life.

"I hope she's okay." Lloyd said, frowning as he looked into the hole.

"Only you would be worried about someone who'd just tried to kill Colette." Genis said, sounding annoyed.

"She wore such strange clothing." Raine mused, not paying attention to the others.

"Is something wrong?" Kratos asked her.

Raine looked up, surprised, and shook her head. "No, of course not." She answered.

"It'll take about two hours to get through the mountain pass. We should get moving." Kratos said.

Eva bit her lip, wondering if she should say something, but knew it would be better if she kept quiet. The others started moving and Eva followed along silently, walking by the opening. Without warning, her foot slipped and, similar to something Colette might do, she fell into the hole. She'd never been too graceful, but she hadn't usually tripped this much or this often before. Maybe it was because she wasn't used to this body yet? She was a bit taller than normal, so it might have affected her center of balance.

"OW!" Eva felt pain everywhere after landing on something bony, which she suspected to be Sheena. With a grunt, she struggled but managed to crawl off of the other girl. "What the hell was that for?!" Sheena yelled at her.

Eva sighed deeply and arched her back, stretching and popping the kink she felt there. "Sorry." She said to the other girl. "I just fell, I didn't mean to land on top of you." She added. Then... "Why were you just standing there?"

Sheena's face went red and she looked away. "I was... trying to steady myself." She answered honestly.

"Oh. Sorry." Eva answered and closed her eyes, focusing on her mana. She took a deep breath and focused on her own pain for now. "First Aid." She said and felt the mana leave her and work on her wounds. When she felt well enough, she got to her feet and grimaced slightly, there was still some pain in her back, but she was at least better than before.

Sheena was staring at her. "You can heal?" She asked, slightly startled.

Eva looked at her and nodded slowly. "Yes. Stand still." She told her and concentrated on the magic again. "First Aid."

"Wai-!" Sheena began to protest but was cut off. A moment later her stance relaxed and she frowned at her. "I didn't ask for your help." She said angrily.

Eva sighed. "No, but I felt like helping anyway. Besides, if either of us are going to get out of here, we need to be at top strength." She said.

Sheena frowned and nodded. "Alright. We work together for now, but as soon as we're out of here, you and I are enemies. Got it?"

Eva couldn't help but laugh a little and smiled. "Sure, enemies." She said, trying to stifle more laughter.

Sheena just frowned at her some more and sighed, beginning to lead the way. "Come on, let's get out of this damn tunnel already." She said.

Eva watched her go and smiled, knowing that Sheena was just trying to put on a brave face. "Alright." Eva replied and followed her, letting her take point instead of trying to lead herself. For all she knew this tunnel could be a labyrinth in real life.

* * *

"There goes another one." Raine sighed, staring at the hole.

Genis was also a bit upset by the loss of Eva in their group. Not only because she was a healer, but because she was also a half-elf, she was kin. Colette was sad too he could tell, but Lloyd and Kratos were both just staring at the hole blankly. He frowned, wondering why neither of them seemed nearly as worried as he felt.

"There should be a tunnel exit on the other side of the pass." Kratos said after a moment. "We can regroup with Eva there."

His sister frowned at the comment and nodded. "Alright, let's get moving then." She said.

Genis was eager to get moving, himself. Climbing the steep trail wasn't going to be easy, but if they caught up to Eva then it would be alright. He didn't want to lose another member of their group. He realized he was counting Lara as a loss now, even though there was a chance she could still be alive, but that chance was slim. The Desians were likely to kill her for her exsphere.

Eva was probably hoping that Lara would be alright, but he didn't have high hopes for her. But he would miss her, she was a good person. After all, her best friend was Eva, a half-elf, and she knew that but didn't care. Genis sighed and followed the others quietly, letting his thoughts wander over the past couple days. It had been hectic so far, and it wasn't likely to become any less so. Still, this journey was important and he was glad he could be here to help support Colette.

It was hard to believe that this journey would result in her becoming an angel, but she had wings now. Somehow it felt like the world was turning upside down and anything could be possible. Even something completely impossible seemed like it could be possible. Genis pondered these thoughts and more as they walked, until shouts pulled him from his wanderings. They were fighting monsters now.

Genis grabbed his kendama and started... well, others would call it playing, but for him it helped his concentration. It was his natural stance for casting. He focused on the mana inside him and figured out what spell he wanted to use. "Wind Blade!" He called out, casting the spell. The monster in question dropped in one hit from the spell and he smiled. "Found your weakness." He couldn't help but say. He started focusing on the same spell, targeting the other monster of the same type. Lloyd and Kratos were busy fighting the larger monster and Colette was standing back helping Raine fight another monster.

"Wind Blade!" He called out again, dropping the other monster with ease.

"Sonic Thrust!" He heard both Lloyd and Kratos call out. They each thrust their blades into the monsters' side and then jumped back, each of them glowing with power. "Cross Thrust!" They cried out in unison and charged forward. They cut across the beast in the shape of an X and it immediately burst into mana. It was pretty cool to watch.

"Take this, Photon!" Raine called out and the monster she was fighting dropped as it was hit with a burst of light. "Humph, never mess with a researcher." She said.

The monsters were all gone. Genis let out a sigh and approached the others. "Where did they come from?" He asked.

Kratos motioned his head towards a nearby cave. "I would assume from there." He said. "Either way, the others know not to approach us." He continued to move on.

Genis frowned but followed along silently again, but avoided getting lost in his thoughts this time. Almost an hour later they reached the top of the pass and he could see the trail down to the other side. "We're almost there." He could feel excitement brimming inside of him, they were close to meeting with Eva.

* * *

Though the girl was a little annoying at first, she had to admit that her healing magic was helpful. The monsters down here were a lot tougher than she would have expected and without aide from the caster, she would have used up her meager supply of gels by now. "Pyre Seal!" She shouted, attaching a card to the monster in front of her. She jumped back and performed a couple of hand signs and the card exploded when she released her mana. Effectively, it killed off the last two monsters for now.

"These monsters are tough." She said, her breathing already labored from all the fighting.

"I know. But we can't let them beat us." The girl said. "By the way, I'm Eva."

"I'm not interested in your name!" Sheena argued, though she was glad to have a name to put with the face. It would help her remember the girl later. "All I'm interested in is getting out of here so I can complete my mission." She huffed out. She wasn't going to admit that she kind of liked the girl, she was decent and kind, and had clearly seen her share of hardships.

"Your mission to assassinate the Chosen?" Eva asked, sounding confused.

Sheena tensed for a moment, but relaxed when she looked at her. The girl looked genuine in her confusion and she sighed. "My mission is none of your concern." She answered hotly.

Eva sighed. "It is when you are trying to kill my friend." She answered and moved ahead of her. "I won't question your motives, but when we get out of here, you can rest assured that I will do everything within my power to protect Colette."

Sheena smiled at that. "That's what I was hoping you'd say." She replied, doing what she could to sound tough. To be honest, she didn't want to fight the Chosen's companions, she just wanted to finish her mission so she could go home. As long as she succeeded, her world would be saved, at least for a while until they found another Chosen for this world.

Eva sighed again and stopped walking a few feet ahead. She was staring down the nearby path, her eyes growing wide with fear. "What's the matter?" Sheena asked, annoyed that she'd stopped.

"I sense a terribly evil presence down that way. It's powerful, we should avoid this path." Eva said, her lip was trembling with fear.

Sheena frowned, but looked down the tunnel. She could just barely make out a lumbering shape, it looked like a giant skeleton. "Then let's avoid it, shall we? Find the safest path, if you will." She suggested.

Eva nodded and looked down the other tunnels. "This way is safest. There are fewer monsters this way." She said, pointing the way.

Sheena smiled. "Alright, let's get a move on." She walked by the younger girl and led the way.

_She was right about the lack of monsters this way._ She mused to herself as they walked in silence. Every now and then Eva would point them down another path, sometimes with a sense of urgency. Sheena began to suspect that whatever that powerful monster was, it was following them. So she didn't hesitate to follow the path Eva directed her towards. Eventually they hit what seemed like a dead end and Sheena growled in frustration.

"You were trying to do this, weren't you?" She asked the girl.

Eva sighed. "Of course not, the exit is here. We need to break down the wall, and preferably soon." She said, glancing behind herself.

Sheena tapped her foot for a moment and grabbed one of her cards. "You better be right about this." She said and placed it on the wall. "Step back." She told her and she jumped back herself, performing the hand signs as she did. "Pyre Seal!" She called out and the card exploded.

At first it looked like nothing had happened and Sheena was about to turn on the girl when the rock groaned. That's right, the rock wall actually groaned. Barely a second after that it crumbled and fell outwards, revealing a large opening out into the sunlight. Sheena stared at the path in awe and then smiled. "Wow, I guess you were right. Sorry for lashing out at you." She said, feeling relieved that they were finally getting out of here.

Eva shook her head with a smile. "It's alright. But we should get out of here and fast." She said with a sense of urgency again.

Sheena looked back and saw the hulking silhouette of the skeleton in the darkness again. "Yeah, can't argue with that." She said and without another word, they both ran out into the sunlight. It felt good to have the sun warming her skin again and she smiled, forgetting where she was at the moment.

"Eva!" She heard voices call out. Sheena opened her eyes, shocked a little and turned her head, seeing the Chosen's group running down the hill. Eva ran past her and joined up with them, a smile on her face.

"I'm glad you're okay." The white-haired boy said, hugging Eva randomly. The blonde Chosen did the same as well, a big smile on her face.

But Sheena noticed the brown-haired boy watching her. "You helped her get out of that tunnel." He said simply.

Sheena frowned. "It was in both our best interests to get out of there alive." She said angrily. "I didn't do it for you." She pulled out a card and summoned her second guardian. "Now, I believe we made a promise. We're enemies again, and whether you believe it or not, I _will_ kill the Chosen. Now stand aside or die!" She said to them all.

* * *

This had grown troublesome, and there was nothing else to describe the situation. As the dark-haired assassin prepared to fight, Kratos drew his sword and ran forward. The girl was surprised by his speed and jumped behind her guardian, which he dispatched with ease. He had seen Mizuho techniques in action before, including these so-called guardians. A single card fell to the ground, split into halves of it's former self. After that he turned his sword on the girl.

She flipped backwards away from the tip of his sword, and pulled out more cards. Using her own mana, she set them around herself to focus on a new technique, but he wasn't going to let her finish. Kratos focused his power. "Lightning!" He called out, quickly casting the spell. It charged around her, destroying her cards and sending her flying to the ground. He ran forward and thrust his sword to finish her when...

"Kratos!" Lloyd called out.

He paused, the tip of his blade resting against the girl's throat. Mentally he cursed himself for listening to his son's voice and letting it give him pause. He turned his gaze to his son, a dark look on his face.

"What is it, Lloyd?" He asked, trying to pretend he didn't know what the boy was most likely going to say next.

"She helped Eva, why don't we let her live?" He asked.

"She's trying to kill the Chosen." Kratos countered.

Lloyd frowned. "Yeah, but she must have her reasons. Can't we just let her go?" He asked.

Kratos took a deep breath and sighed, but sheathed his sword anyway. He walked by Lloyd and frowned at his son. "You're too soft." He said simply and moved to stand by Colette. If the girl made to attack again, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her this time.

Lloyd stepped towards the girl and offered her a hand. "Hey, how about we start over? I'm-" He began but the girl swat his hand away.

"I'm not interested in your name!" The girl spat as she flipped back onto her feet. "I won't forget this!" She said. Suddenly she lifted her arm and threw it towards the ground. Smoke exploded around her and Kratos knew the girl was using it as a means to escape. The Mizuho ninja clan was skilled in the art of deception and illusion.

Finally the smoke cleared, but left Lloyd coughing a little. "Wha-? Where did she go?" He asked, looking around for her.

"Away, I would assume. If she knows better, she won't come looking for us." Kratos answered with a sigh. "Let's move, there's a fishing village not far from here."

Lloyd looked upset, but nodded and followed. It was about time they got away from the mountain pass. He let the others move ahead for a bit and glanced back at the opening in the rock wall. A hulking shadowy figure stood just beyond the lit entrance, it's aura resonated with evil. Though he knew it was no threat to himself, Kratos couldn't help but shudder at it's presence. It was a good thing there were ancient seals keeping it locked within the mountain, otherwise it would have revealed itself. And he didn't believe their current group had the strength to take on that evil presence. He turned away from the mountain and moved on.

* * *

**And that... my dear readers... is that. Took me all of three or four days, but... I think it was WORTH IT! *does a little happy dance* I hope you really like this chapter, and I mean that. I can't believe how fluidly the words flowed from my head to the computer. It was absolutely amazing.**

**Anyway, I definitely won't be updating the next chapter as quickly as I got this new one out here. But I will try to work on chapter nine and get it up and running as soon as possible. It all depends on the ideas I get and how easy it is to write. I hope I don't have as much difficulty with it as I had for chapter seven anyway.**

**So... you know the drill. Please read, review and enjoy. Preferably in that order.**

**Oh, and keep an eye out for the next chapter.**


	9. Palma Potion

**OMG... I still can't believe how long it took me to write this... Lack of motivation, as well as plenty of writer's block... I am so sorry. I had intended to update much sooner than this. Anyway, here is the next chapter.**

**I do not own this. Only the OC's I bring into the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 9 - Palma Potion**

As they walked from the mountain path to the nearest village, which was clearly a fishing village judging from the smell. In fact, there were crates and barrels filled with fish, some even filled with water to keep them alive and fresh. Eva looked around, her nose wrinkling at the smell, she had never liked the smell of fish, and this village was not to her liking. Raine looked more and more nervous the closer they got to the water. From what she knew of the game, she knew that the older half-elf was afraid of water, so it made sense.

"We'll need to check at the docks for a boat." Kratos said as they entered the village. Eva looked over and noticed that even Kratos was bothered by the fishy smell. He held a hand over his nose right now, trying to look composed and failing at the moment.

Raine's eye twitched. "I... I think I'll stay at the Inn. You don't need everyone to look for a boat, after all, right?" She asked, her voice high with worry.

Kratos glanced back at her and Eva was beginning to feel sorry for the woman with aquaphobia. They weren't likely going to be able to cure her fear, and for most of the journey they wouldn't need to worry about traveling over the water. "That would be fine." Kratos said. "If we manage to book passage across the water, we will come to get you."

Raine smiled slightly and nodded, heading towards the Inn. It was the only building with a clearly marked sign. All the other buildings either stored crates and barrels of food, or boats, or opened onto the docks. And the smaller buildings were all clearly residential houses. Eva followed the others as they walked through the village, trying not to let the smell get to her.

At one point Lloyd, Colette and Genis all ran down to the beach and started playing around, splashing water at each other. Eva was tempted to join them, but she was wearing a longer dress than Colette. That, and she was still upset over losing Lara to the renegades. She wasn't in the mood to play around and be happy, even if it did take her mind off of things for a little while.

"Children!" Kratos called out to them, but they ignored him.

Eva chuckled slightly. "I don't think they need to be there if we find a boat. We've been doing a lot of traveling. This is probably the only chance they'll have to relax and have a little fun." She said.

Kratos turned to look at her. "You and the Chosen are the same age." He said simply as if expecting her to run off and play as well.

"Actually, I'm almost seventeen." Eva answered honestly. "My birthday is a week from now. Either way, I'm not in the mood for playing. How about we look for a boat?" She asked.

Kratos glanced at the three kids and sighed. "Fine, the docks are this way." He said, leading the way.

Eva glanced back at them as well before following him. It wasn't hard to find the docks, they took up the most space out of everything in the village. Of course, that made sense since they probably made a living catching fish and sailing. Kratos walked around and spoke to the boat captains with purpose and Eva even split up slightly to ask others. After a lot of walking around on the docks, neither of them had been able to find a boat willing to take them across the water.

"I guess there are a lot of monster attacks out at sea." Eva said with a sigh. "No one is sailing, and despite how poor these people are even our largest bribe was unable to buy passage over the water."

Kratos frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. She could see on his face that he was trying to think, so she didn't bother him. Instead, she sat down on a short wooden post and waited to see if he had a plan.

"Psst!" A voice called from the shadow of a nearby building.

Kratos immediately gripped the hilt of his sword as he turned towards the noise. An old, fat man stood in the shadows, waving them forward. "Here, I can help you." He said.

Eva stood up and walked over next to Kratos, glancing at him. "Should we trust him?" She asked.

"No, but we can at least hear what he has to say." He replied, relaxing his stance slightly.

Eva followed Kratos into the building the man was motioning them towards. The door closed behind them rather harshly and she jumped and clung to Kratos for a moment before blushing and letting go. A different man, though much younger and fairly handsome, had closed the door.

"I'm sorry for being so secretive, but the people here don't like us much." The old man said and walked over to a table, though it was really just a large box with smaller boxes spaced out around it. "I couldn't help but overhear your little... uh, problem." He added.

"We're looking for passage to Palmacosta." Eva said, glancing at Kratos, who was gripping his sword's hilt and not saying anything. He was probably tense because of the door being closed. They didn't know these people either, so that was also a contributing factor. "Can you help us with that?"

The old man smiled at her question. "Can we help you with that? Why of course. Always happy to help one of our own." He said.

It was at that moment she realized why the man had mentioned the people hated them. "You're both half-elves." She said in awe. "And you have a boat?" She asked.

The old man nodded. "Yep, a big one. It needs more than me and my son to run it, so how many are in your group?" He asked.

"Se-... Six." She answered. Eva had almost counted Lara, but she wasn't here. As it stood they had Lloyd, Colette, Genis, Raine, Kratos and herself. That made six.

"Alright. We'll only need half of you to help out with running the ship on the way. As a result, we'll only charge half price. Five hundred gald." He said.

Eva looked at Kratos. "Do we have enough?" She asked him.

Kratos sighed and pulled out what looked like some kind of wallet and counted out the coins, handing them over to the old half-elf silently. "How early can we set sail?" He asked the man.

"We'll need to pack some supplies on the ship for travel. So, by noon tomorrow." The old man answered. "Thank you very much for your business. We hope to see you tomorrow."

Kratos said nothing and grabbed Eva's arm before walking out of the building. "I hope this is worth it." He said simply and led the way back towards the Inn. Eva knew he was right, they had no idea if those two were really trustworthy. She hoped that they were and they at least had a boat for tomorrow. After all, if they were con-artists, wouldn't they have asked for more gald and then taken off? Either way this was a big gamble, and both of them knew that.

* * *

She was staring at the ceiling in anger. Lara had long since discovered that there was a bathroom and a kitchen leading off of Yuan's chambers. There was no other way out from either room. But at least she didn't need to worry about asking him for permission to go find a restroom. On the other hand, it gave her no chance to try and escape if she had it at her convenience. Heck, she didn't even need to ask for food, she could go make her own, though if she used up the ingredients, she'd have to ask for more. But he would probably send some renegades to get that and then deal with restocking the shelves himself while locking her in the room.

After feeling miserable about getting captured so easily she realized that she honestly could have tried to escape still. She had been too numb from the raging hormones and jumbled thoughts, all caused by him kissing her. Why on earth had he even done that? Of course she knew his intention had been to stop her from screaming, but he could just have put his hand over her mouth again. So after all that, she had tried to sleep and only managed to get a few hours here and there before waking up with nothing to do but explore the room. It was when she did that she'd found the kitchen and bathroom.

She was infinitely grateful that they had indoor plumbing here, and had taken that first tour to use the bathroom to the best of her benefit. After showering she had decided to change into something else and went looking around. Her own clothes were covered in sand and dust, and even a little blood, so they needed to be washed. After a lot of looking, she pulled something out of a dresser that was about her size and looked decent enough. So now she was wearing a simple blue tunic and black pants with short brown boots. Her hair was dry again, and she was bored out of her mind.

Lara wished she had something more to do, but she didn't even have her bow and arrows with her so she couldn't practice with that. She didn't have a weapon she could use against Yuan if he came in apart from her hands and feet. And she wasn't nearly confident enough in her martial arts skill to fight him that way. Not yet anyway. She sighed and turned her head to stare at the wall where the door was, wondering if he would be coming in. Yuan did come in to visit her every hour or so. Without any way to track time she couldn't be certain how much time passed between each visit, but he at least didn't leave her in here alone all the time.

As she wondered about that the door opened with a hum and he stepped into the room, the door immediately closing behind him. Lara sat up straight as he turned without acknowledging her and typed in the lock code. She heard the locks in the door click into place and she sighed, letting herself fall back onto the bed and stare at the ceiling.

"You've been sulking all day." He said to her after a short moment of silence.

Lara lifted her head slightly to look at him. "Hmm, I wonder why the hell that is. I'm locked up here in this room with nothing to do. My friends are all probably long gone by now without even trying to rescue me. What do you think I should be doing?" She asked, annoyed. She was very annoyed with him. He had managed to kidnap her after all. She had no delusions about the others coming to rescue her. Eva and Lloyd might want to, but there was no way Raine or Kratos would allow them to deviate to do that.

"You don't think they'll come to get you?" Yuan asked, his eyes narrowed, wondering how she'd come to that conclusion.

"Nope. Raine and Kratos will be focused on the world regeneration journey. Eva and Lloyd may want to come get me, but there's no way they'll let them come back here." She answered. "Besides, we barely got out of here the first time." She sat up to stare at him stonily. "Do you really think they'll risk a second performance?"

She noticed his lip twitched slightly into a smile and she huffed and looked away from him. Though she liked Yuan... a LOT, she couldn't stand looking at his lips anymore. Not now. Not after... that kiss. "So what are you doing in here, Yuan?" She asked. "Come to gloat over capturing me again?" She was being mean, and she knew it. But right now, she didn't care about that so much. She was feeling irritable.

"Actually, I came to tell you about the DNA results. Though if you don't want to hear it I'll gladly leave again." He said, turning towards the door to make his point.

"WAIT!" Lara cried out, unable to help herself. She might be mad at him, but she wanted to know the truth. That and she was really bored and lonely and she didn't want him to leave yet. "I... I want to know." She said.

Yuan turned to look at her, a bemused look on his face and she scowled at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Very well." He said and walked over to sit on the bed. He didn't sit too close to her, but he also didn't sit as far away from her as he usually did. He pulled a folder out from under his cape and she wondered if he'd been hiding it there or had pulled it out of a wing pack, or even just using magic. Either way it was pretty neat. He opened the folder and brought out two different scans, one was labeled 'Lloyd Irving' and one was labeled 'Lara Irving'.

Lara stared at the name and realized no one in this world knew her real last name. But she kind of liked the ring of Irving with her first name. She looked back and forth between the two scans and realized just how close the two were. Almost identical with only a couple spots noting the difference between her and Lloyd.

Yuan was watching her she knew, but she couldn't hide the surprised look on her face. "So I'm really-... Lloyd is really my brother?" She wondered aloud, staring at the scans. She looked up and noticed Yuan nodded once in confirmation. "That means Kratos is..." She whispered, but she stopped herself from continuing. Yuan was looking at her.

"Kratos is... what?" He asked her. His eyes were narrowed and she blushed and looked away from him.

"Nothing. Kratos is nothing." She answered too quickly, trying not to look at him. But he grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. It really hurt to have her face held in place like this and she was certain she would have bruises on her chin later.

"You were going to say something about Kratos." Yuan said, staring at her. "Kratos is... what?" He demanded.

Lara frowned and glared at him from her position. She couldn't move her head so she could glare at him directly, but it clearly had no effect on him as he waited for her to answer properly. "He's my father, okay?!" She shouted.

Yuan let go of her face and pulled his hand back, staring at her in an odd way. He was probably wondering how she knew that piece of information. "How do you know that?" He actually asked.

Lara looked away from him and rubbed her chin. "I just do, okay? I've noticed the way he watched over me and Lloyd. It was obvious how he cared about Lloyd. With me it was a little more suspicious, like he wasn't sure whether or not to believe I was his daughter. Lloyd doesn't know." She explained with a sigh.

There was a long, awkward silence and she guessed Yuan was processing that information. "I need Kratos to do something." He said after a while.

Lara looked over at him. "And so you kidnapped me? What about Lloyd?" She asked.

Yuan stood up. "I intend to catch him as well." He started walking towards the door.

"Please don't go." Lara said, softer than anything she'd said before.

He paused and turned to look to her. "Why?"

"I..." She tried to find the words. He turned to the door again and she felt tears rising in her eyes. "I hate being alone." She muttered, mostly to herself. She stopped looking at him and instead stared at her feet.

A moment later she heard him walk back over to the bed, his footsteps muffled by the carpet. He sat down on the edge of the bed not too close to her, but also not that far away. She was glad he chose to stay, because at least not she didn't feel like she was alone. Though it would only make her feel more alone when he finally left again. Might as well not dwell on that thought for now. She closed her eyes for a moment, not attempting to get any closer to him.

"I'm hungry." Lara said after a few minutes. She jumped off the bed and started walking towards the kitchen. She turned to look at Yuan. "Any requests?" She asked.

Yuan looked over at her his face calm. "I'm fine." He answered and she shrugged, walking into the other room.

She looked around in the cabinets, trying to figure out what she wanted to make. After a while she found a box of pasta noodles and smiled. Lara grabbed a big pot and filled it most of the way with water and put it on the stove. As the water began to heat up she began singing her favorite song _Who Am I Living For?_ by Katy Perry. She heard footsteps approaching the kitchen but she kept singing as she poured the noodles into the boiling water. She took a long wooden spoon and stirred the pasta in the pot, singing and dancing slightly as she did. She knew Yuan was probably standing at the doorway watching her, but she didn't care.

She finished singing that song but the pasta wasn't done yet so she started singing _The One That Got Away_ by Katy Perry. She didn't dance as she sang this one though and simply focused on cooking the pasta. She had to keep a close eye on it so it didn't stick to the pot and get burned. After a while she checked to see how soft the noodles were. They weren't crunchy and were very soft and chewy so she knew they were ready and found a strainer to dump the noodles into. She smiled and continued to sing as she worked. As the strainer did it's work to get the water out she went to the fridge and grabbed the slice of cheese and put it in the still hot pot and let it melt in there, stirring it slightly again to make sure it didn't burn. When it was all nice and melted she took the strainer and poured the noodles into the cheese sauce she'd made.

She started singing _Part of Me_ as she stirred the pasta and cheese, starting to dance again slightly. Yuan was probably wondering where she'd learned the songs, and she wondered if she should tell him. He had already revealed his wings to her and considering she hadn't been surprised by that, or even pretended to be surprised by it, he should at least know why she'd known that. Right? Lara had no idea how long she'd be in the renegade base if she had no way to escape. She knew she didn't sound like Katy Perry, her voice was a bit higher and girlier than hers, especially when she was singing. Lara sounded a little bit more like a boy but only when she was just talking. Her singing voice was higher and sweeter, everyone always told her so.

She pulled out two plates and turned around to look at Yuan. "I know you said you were fine, but I made more than enough for two." She said. "Would you like some?" She asked, hoping that he would agree.

Yuan looked at the cheesy pasta briefly and then nodded, his expression unreadable. She turned back and filled both plates with enough pasta for each of them and then carried it back into the main room. Yuan offered to carry his own plate, but she refused to let him until she set it down at the table in the room. It was lucky there were two seats set up at the table so they could both sit and eat. Yuan waited for her to sit before sitting himself and she blushed at that as she sat down.

"You have a nice singing voice." He said as he used the fork to gather some of the pasta.

Lara blushed deeper and stared at her plate. "Thank you." She said, entirely too embarrassed to say anything more than that.

* * *

Yuan noticed how nervous she was and her cheeks kept turning red a lot. He'd overheard her say to Eva that she liked him, and now that he knew he couldn't help but notice how much she blushed when he was near her. He still couldn't believe he had resorted to kissing her to keep her quiet instead of simply covering her mouth. He'd acted entirely on impulse and now felt a tad awkward around her. She had even reacted to the kiss like she'd wanted more... Dammit! He had to stop thinking about that. He couldn't afford to let himself get attached to her, not when there was a chance, small though it may be, that he'd have to kill her or her brother in order to get Kratos to do what he wanted.

He took a bite of the pasta she made and was surprised how good it was smothered in cheese like this. Usually when he had pasta of any kind it was covered in tomato sauce and grated cheese. "What made you think of using cheese?" He asked her.

Lara looked up from her plate this time and frowned. "I don't like tomatoes." She answered honestly, her expression serious.

Yuan nearly choked as he tried to stop himself from laughing. He knew Kratos disliked tomatoes but... well, actually, it was more like a burning hatred of the plump red fruit. He'd never asked the auburn-haired man why he hated tomatoes so much, but he guessed it had something to do with his childhood. Still, it seemed a little strange for the daughter to not like tomatoes as well. "Why don't you like them?" He asked.

She looked up at him and stared like he had lost his mind. "They're disgusting. Have you ever tried just biting into a tomato? They're slimy and taste funny." She said.

Slimy? He'd never thought of them that way, but everyone had different tastes. But it was clear to say that she disliked them for a different reason than her father did. It was still quite a coincidence, however. At least he was over the initial shock of hearing it. "I see." He said and then decided now would be a good time to ask about the songs she'd been singing. "Where did you learn those songs?" He asked.

She froze, the fork of pasta halfway to her mouth. She shoved it in and chewed on it before she could answer and he knew she was either trying to avoid the answer or think about her answer carefully. Yuan waited patiently, knowing she couldn't avoid the question forever, though she might try to redirect the conversation.

That's exactly what she tried to do by asking. "Why do you have wings?"

Yuan wouldn't have been surprised by the question if she had at least been shocked when he first pulled them out in front of her. But she hadn't been surprised or shocked, so she must know the reason why. Why would she need to ask apart from trying to change the direction of their conversation? He folded his hands together and looked at her, putting a scowl on his face.

"How about you answer my question and then I'll answer yours?" He suggested.

She swallowed the food in her mouth and looked up at him, a smile creeping over her lips. "You don't need to explain. I already know exactly who and what you are." She said. He started at that and stood up, but she continued calmly. "I'm... I don't know how it might have happened, but I came from another world."

He stared at her, he had assumed as much, but it was still strange to hear. "I'm not from Sylvarant, nor am I from Tethe'alla." So she knew about the nature of the two worlds. He sighed and sat back down to wait for her to finish. "Instead, me and Eva come from a planet called Earth. It's... not like this world. There's no mana there, and no magic. Plus, as far as anyone knows, the only race that exists on Earth are humans." She explained. "The songs I was singing, they were created by someone on Earth. As well as a game called _Tales of Symphonia_."

"What do you mean by game?" He asked, fairly certain where this was going.

Lara looked at him, her eyes wide. Was she afraid to tell him the answer? She took a deep breath. "It's a game people use to entertain themselves. Though not everyone in the world knows about this game. Either way, the game is... it's all about Lloyd's... my brother's journey." She finished._  
_

"Wait... you mean-?!" He stood up again, surprised by this piece of information.

Lara nodded slowly. "I can't tell you anything, at least, I shouldn't tell you anything. But I know the outcome of this journey. Although, the fact that me and Eva are here might very well change everything. It's hard to say since we're only near the beginning still." She said, lowering her head into her hands. "I really shouldn't even be telling you any of this." She muttered.

Yuan paused and realized what she was trying to say by that. Even though she clearly knew of the future events of this world, she was withholding the knowledge.. probably to try and protect the world's future. He walked around the table and knelt next to her. "Is this world's future really worth protecting?" He asked her.

She looked up from her hands, tears glistening in her eyes, a small smile played on her lips before she answered. "Yes."

He stood up and let out a sigh. "No matter what you say, I am going to try to find out what you know." He said to her. He took his plate of food and walked to the door, entering the pass code and leaving her alone once more. He took care to lock the door from the outside and walked over to his desk, thinking over this new information as he finished eating. Well, at least now he had a good reason to keep her alive for as long as possible. She had knowledge that he could probably use for the renegades.

* * *

_The Professor really doesn't like boats._ Lloyd thought to himself as he walked by the cabin. Genis was in there, trying to comfort and take care of her, but she kept groaning. And the smell of vomit permeated the air down here. He left to go back on deck with the others. The smell was starting to get to him. Every little bump in the waves only seemed to worsen the professor's nausea.

Colette was sitting on a bench, staring out at the water as the boat moved. The owner of the boat had said they'd need extra hands to help out, but upon learning Colette was the chosen, had said she wouldn't need to do anything. So that had left Kratos, Eva and himself to help out wherever it was necessary. Genis, on the rare occasion that he left Raine's side, helped out wherever possible as well. It was hard work, and it was tiring, but at least they had a ride to Palmacosta.

Kratos had seemed surprised the other day when they all went to the docks around noon and the boat was waiting for them. It was going to take a couple of days to get to the other side, but it was still better than nothing.

"Hey Lloyd, help me out with the rigging!"

He turned his head and saw the younger man waving him over. Lloyd nodded and ran over to help out. When that was squared away, he helped take care of other things like tying things down, cleaning the deck. There was a lot to do. But at the end of each day he wasn't allowed to rest immediately. Often, Kratos would come to him and offer more training before he was allowed to rest. It left him sore, his muscles aching in protest in the morning, and he was sure he had more bruises than he could count, but it would be worth it. If he became strong enough to protect Colette, that's all that mattered.

Today seemed like a slower day though, as Kratos was busy with something else at the moment. Lloyd was allowed a break so he went and sat with Colette. The blonde turned and smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile back at her. "It's really peaceful." Colette said.

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah. It's cool to watch the water go by too." He said after a moment.

Colette giggled and nodded. "Yeah, it's really fun. And sometimes, you can see dolphins in the water." She told him.

Lloyd jumped up from the bench. "Really?!" He shouted. He wanted to see some dolphins.

Colette nodded. "Yeah, I'll show you." She walked over to the railing at the edge of the side and peered over without leaning over. "Oh, there's one now!" She exclaimed.

Lloyd hurried over and managed to see the tail end splashing back into the water. "Whoa, cool." He said and watched as more of them showed up. Jumping out of the water in singles, and in pairs. Some of them stayed a little further away and merely slid out of the water partway as they swam. "It would be cool to have one as a pet, huh?" He asked. "Though, I don't know where we'd keep it in Iselia." He said after a moment.

Colette laughed. It was always good to hear her laugh. "It would probably be happier here though, with it's family." She said.

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah, I bet you're right." He agreed, watching the dolphins for a little while longer. He was still a bit worried about Lara, and he wondered if it was possible to reach her. He'd talked to her through the exsphere last time, hadn't he? Could he still do that? It would be worth a try. Lloyd decided it would be better to sit down and went back to the bench, Colette following him shortly after.

Okay, how to do this? He hadn't really known how he was doing it last time. It had just sort of... happened. He looked at the exsphere on his left hand and took a deep breath. Here goes, he thought.

'_Lara? Are you there?_' He thought, trying to send his thoughts out to her through the expshere.

There was a really long silence and Lloyd thought he'd failed when... '_Lloyd?! Is that you?_' Lara's voice came through the link.

He almost jumped for joy when he realized he could still connect to her this way. Actually, he had jumped slightly and landed on the ground next to the bench, looking alarmed. "Oops!" He got back on the bench.

"Are you okay, Lloyd?" Colette asked him.

"Yeah, just a little startled. I think... I just talked to Lara." He told the blonde. '_Yeah, it's me. Are you okay? Those Desians haven't hurt you, have they?!_' He asked Lara through his thoughts._  
_

"Wha- How are you doing that?" Colette looked confused.

'_I'm fine. No they haven't hurt me. But get this, they ran some kind of blood test and it turns out we really are twins._' Lara replied.

Whoa, so they were really related. That was cool, he had living family. He looked at Colette. "I think me and her are connected through mom's exsphere." He told her. Colette still looked confused, but she nodded as if she understood. '_That's pretty awesome news. Are you sure you're alright?_' He asked again.

'_Yeah, they're not even keeping me in a holding cell. I'm in a guarded room. Apparently they need me for something, so I'm safe for now. How have you and the others been?_' She asked.

'_Alright, I guess. We're on a boat to Palmacosta right now._' He told her.

'_You're farther away than I thought. Oh well, if I manage to escape, I'll find a way to reach you._' Lara said.

'_You're gonna try to escape? But, you're weapon is here. Eva's been holding on to it._' He told her. How was she going to escape without a weapon?

'_You dolt. I started this journey dressed as you, remember? I can at least handle a sword. That is, assuming I can get my hands on one._' She laughed at him.

'_Oh, oh yeah._' He remembered now. She had been dressed as him at first, carrying two swords, the ones he now had. The ones that were made by a dwarf. '_Just, be careful if you do, okay? It would just be you fighting._'_  
_

'_I know that, silly. I think I'm better at sneaking around than you are. I'll keep you posted._' She said.

'_What's that mean?_' He asked before she could end the connection.

'_It means I'll talk to you later. Be careful in Palmacosta. There's sure to be a lot going on there._' She told him.

'_Yeah, okay._' He said and felt the connection slip. What did she mean by that? Was there going to be danger? And if so, how did she know about it? Lloyd shook his head. Maybe he was just looking into her words too much. Everything would be fine when they reached Palmacosta.

"Is she alright?" Colette asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. She said she's fine. Said the desians need her alive for something." He said aloud.

"Oh, that's good. At least she's alright." Colette smiled.

"At least who is alright?" Lloyd jumped up from his seat again and spun around to stare at Kratos. Damn, Kratos sure was quiet. He noticed the older man's brows were raised slightly. Lloyd realized he was still waiting for an answer.

"Lara. I just found out that she's alright." He answered sheepishly.

Kratos' brow raised higher in a silent question. "Oh? And how did you learn that?" He asked.

"I um, I can talk to her through the exsphere. I think it keeps us connected." Lloyd replied, not looking Kratos in the eye. Man, Kratos could be scary sometimes, but he knew he was just trying to help, and he was probably worried about Lara too. Still, Lloyd was upset with him for making the decision to leave her behind to continue this journey.

Kratos stared at him for a while, a disbelieving look on his face. A moment later he was called to help with something and he sighed, shaking his head before walking away. Lloyd watched him go and let out the breath he was holding. That was really close, but no doubt Kratos would probably ask him to explain the weird connection later. At least he didn't have to worry about answering for now.

* * *

Training had become a daily thing for Kratos, trying to teach Lloyd everything he knew about fighting would take time. At least his son had some skill with fighting at least, so he didn't really need to start from the basics. However, he had given Lloyd the basics on their first lesson back in Triet, shortly after Lara had been captured. It still bothered him that she wasn't here, where he could watch over her. The past couple days had been very busy, working on this boat was tiresome, and he really kind of wished to be back on land. Mostly to get away from the smell, and partly so he wouldn't have to work on this damned boat anymore.

"Stay focused, Lloyd." He said, watching as his son once again seemed to stare off into the distance.

Lloyd flinched and looked up at him. "Sorry, I was just talking to Lara." He said.

Kratos sighed, still knowing nothing about this connection they had. It could be a result of the split exsphere, or it could be because they were twins. Either way, Lloyd kept avoiding the question when he asked, instead putting his focus into training, or talking to Lara through the exsphere. "Well, then stop talking to her. We are in the middle of something here." He said.

Lloyd frowned but nodded. He became unfocused for a moment, and Kratos was losing his patience. While the boy was distracted, he rushed forward and landed a solid kick on his son's chest. There was a grunt of pain, and a surprised look on Lloyd's face as he flew back and landed in a heap on the ground a few feet away from where he'd originally been standing. "Ow! Kratos, what was that for?" Lloyd asked, rubbing his chest through his jacket.

"In the heat of battle, your enemies will not wait for you to focus. They will use every means possible to take you down. Getting distracted, even for a second, can cost you your life." Kratos said, looking down at the boy.

"Argh! Alright, I get it!" Lloyd got to his feet. "So, can we train now?" He asked.

"Are you going to stay focused, or talk to your sister some more? If the answer is the latter, then I won't consider training you anymore." Kratos said, glaring at Lloyd.

"I'm gonna stay focused." Lloyd answered.

Kratos nodded once. "Good answer." He drew his sword and looked at the boy. "Now, let's begin."

Lloyd charged forwards at him, like he did most times, swinging his swords. Kratos easily dodged to the side and deflected an attack using his sword as he did. He went a little further and managed to make Lloyd trip. The boy fell forward, his arms flailing a little to either side to try to keep his balance. He still fell on his face and Kratos watched impassively. "Never make the first move." He told Lloyd.

Lloyd turned over and glared up at him. "You always say that, and yet I have to make the first move, cause you never do." He said, annoyed.

"Hmph." Kratos grunted in response to that. "You won't always be facing me. Some of your enemies will be far more reckless, or just faster and will charge at you before you can do the same. You need to learn to defend attacks from these kinds of opponents." He said.

"How am I supposed to do that if you don't attack me?" Lloyd asked, getting to his feet.

Kratos narrowed his eyes and ran forward. Lloyd looked up at him in surprise, trying to cross his swords to defend, but he was too slow. Kratos easily knocked away the boy's defense and knocked him to the ground again. "Ow, I wasn't ready yet." Lloyd said from the ground.

"Your opponent will not wait for you to be ready. The same as they won't hesitate to take you down if you are distracted in battle." Kratos replied. He disliked being this distant to Lloyd, but he couldn't let his son know the truth. Not when he would have to reveal his true self at the Tower. No, it was better he act this way. Maybe later, when Lloyd was over the loss of his friend, he might be able to tell him, but not now, and not in the near future.

Lloyd got to his feet with a grunt. "Okay, I get it." He said and got into his fighting stance. "Try that again."

"Hmph." Kratos replied simply, but he was glad to see that Lloyd was still determined to keep going. He charged forward and Lloyd waited for him to get closer. This time he managed to block the attack with one sword and attack with the other. Kratos wasn't about to let himself get hit, though, and he dodged the attack while bringing his sword around. Putting some force behind his attack, he knocked the sword out of Lloyd's hand, bringing the point of his blade up to the boy's neck. Lloyd looked surprised again.

"What the hell was that?!" Lloyd asked him, arms up in surrender.

Kratos couldn't help but smile slightly. "You managed to block my attack, but just because I agreed to do this doesn't mean I'm going to let you win." Kratos said to him. "If you want to defeat me in battle, you will have to try for it."

Lloyd frowned at him. "Dammit, okay." He said finally.

Kratos nodded and lowered his sword. "Now, what about this connection between you and Lara?" He asked. "You can't keep avoiding the question."

Lloyd flinched at the question and sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I... I dunno exactly. We did it once before, in Iselia, before she found me." Lloyd answered. "I wasn't even sure what was going on then. But when I tried this afternoon, I was able to talk to her. It was like... she was right next to me, even though she's not." He finished explaining.

Kratos thought that over for a minute and sighed, sheathing his sword. "She told you she was alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, she said the Desians were keeping her in a room. That they needed her alive for something so she was fine. Also, she said something about a blood test. I guess they told her the results and she really is my sister." Lloyd said with a smile. "It's pretty cool I guess. I was always worried that any family I had apart from Mom was dead. I'm not really sure about my Dad, he could be out there, but... he's never come looking for me."

Kratos felt like there was a knife being driven into his gut. He wanted to tell Lloyd, but it would only hurt his son to find out what he was later. He took a deep breath and tried to ignore the feeling as he spoke. "I'm sure that your father cares for you. Wherever he is." He said.

Lloyd looked up at him and smiled. "Yeah, I'm sure of that too." Lloyd said. "You know, you're not all bad, are you Kratos?" He asked.

"Hmph." Kratos answered simply. "We're done training for today. Go get some sleep, Lloyd." He said to the boy.

Lloyd nodded and walked off into the cabin. Kratos waited until he was gone to go over to the railing and think over today. So, Lara was okay for now, and the test she had mentioned before was positive. That meant she really was his daughter. He sighed and looked down at the churning, black waves. His decision to keep moving on this journey and leave her behind felt wrong now. He had left his daughter in the hands of the renegades. Dammit. If he got the Chosen to the final seal, he would be able to return to Welgaia. Perhaps from there he could drop all pretenses and go rescue her from Yuan. But that was still a long way to go. He hoped she would be able to hold out for that long.

* * *

Finally they made port. Finally, they were able to get away from that wretched boat and it's... rocking. Raine never wanted to get on a boat ever again. She wanted to hug the ground, that is until Colette pointed out that the city was floating on the water. That's right, they were still surrounded by water. Her eye twitched and she stayed as far in the middle of the walkway as possible. Eva was thanking the old man and his son for the ride. But at least they finally had a chance to get moving. Standing around here was _not_ helping her nerves.

They walked down a path that would hopefully lead to the city proper when they stumbled across another group. Well, rather Colette bumped into a girl from the other group, and both of them fell down. The other girl dropped a bottle that broke upon hitting the ground. "Oh no. My Palma Potion." The girl complained, staring forlornly at the spilled alcoholic drink.

"Hey, you people need to watch where you're going!" Another girl in the group complained.

"Yeah, you guys are gonna pay for that!" One of the young men said, stepping forward, hand reaching for a sword.

"Oh, I'm really sorry." Colette said.

Raine sighed, it was so like Colette to apologize for something that was an accident. "You clearly need to get your eyes checked. That was a complete accident." She heard Genis say.

"Why you-?!" The young man said angrily.

"Calm down, Lance. Let's just have them replace the potion." A blonde girl wearing a light blue outfit said with a sigh.

The red head named Lance relaxed his stance and glared at their group. "You heard her. Go buy a replacement potion! Maybe then I can forgive you." He said, crossing his arms.

"Okay. I'm sorry for ruining that one." Colette said, already walking away to go help.

Raine sighed as she followed, but she looked back to see Eva was still standing around. "Are you coming Eva?" She asked the girl.

Eva looked over at her and smiled. "It's alright. There's something I want to look into." She said easily. "I'll be here when you get back."

Raine frowned but followed after the kids and Kratos, this was troublesome. She wondered just what it was that Eva was looking into. The girl wasn't a Desian, but that didn't mean she couldn't be a spy. Although Eva had been helping a lot and she was Lara's friend. Still, Raine wasn't sure she could fully trust her. Then again, she wasn't putting all her faith in Kratos either. He was far too suspicious, and he was far too friendly with Lloyd despite being just a mercenary. She would have to keep a close eye on him.

The five of them found a shop that might sell the required potion, so they walked inside. "Oh please. There's no way anyone would sell those items to you for so little gald." A brown-haired teenage girl said from behind the counter. Raine's eyes narrowed at the two Desians who looked like they were ready to grab and strangle the girl for being difficult. Really, she was glad the girl was standing up to them, but this would only cause complications for later.

One of the Desians spat on the table, his mouth twisted into a sneer. "Ha! You should be thankful we're even willing to buy goods in this dump you call a shop!" He said. Raine could hear the venom in his tone.

"Hmph!" The girl crossed her arms. "I don't need to hear that from a bunch of filthy Desians. I'm not going to sell one single item to the likes of you!" She said in anger, returning their glare.

The older woman behind the other counter frowned and turned to the teenager. "Chocolat, that's enough!"

"But mom- these are the same monsters that took grandma away!" Chocolat said.

"No, I've had enough. Give them the items and accept whatever gald they pay you." The woman replied.

"Hmph, like we're gonna buy anything here!" The other Desian said. "Let's get out of here. They don't deserve our business." The two Desians left after that. Raine stepped to the side of the door to let them pass, frowning.

Chocolat fumed for a bit after they were gone. "The nerve!" She said and then she sighed, turning to the other woman with a smile. "Anyway, I'm off to work now. I'll see you when I get home later, okay mom?" The brunette walked by them and out of the shop.

Finally the woman seemed to notice them and she smiled sadly. "My apologies. I'm sure you weren't expecting to see that when you walked in here." She said. "Please, help yourselves. It's the least I can do."

"We're looking to buy a Palma Potion." Raine said, walking forward.

"Oh, I have some bottles here behind the counter." The woman said in a friendly tone. "Here, you can take it." She held out the bottle.

"Please, let us pay for it. Those Desians left without buying anything." Raine said, though she appreciated the offer, the woman couldn't rightfully just give away a Potion like that.

"Alright, that'll be four hundred gald." The woman said.

Raine got together the coins and handed them over. "Thank you." She said, though she had a feeling the woman hadn't asked for the full price anyway. Still, it left them with probably enough money to pay for rooms at the Inn.

"Alright, we have the Potion." Lloyd said with an eager smile.

"Yeah, let's go give it to those people. I feel really bad that I broke the one they had." Colette said.

"That was just an accident, Colette. You shouldn't feel bad." Genis said with a sigh.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Colette replied with a small smile.

Raine took the Potion and walked out of the shop to head back. When they got to the crossroad, Eva was clutching a book and smiling. Raine wondered why that was as she walked over and handed the Palma Potion to the dark-haired girl.

"Wow, you actually bought a Palma Potion." The girl said, looking surprised.

"Alright, let's get out of here guys." The blonde in the light blue outfit said. The group of four left after that.

"Eva, what's that book?" Genis asked.

Raine looked over, curious about the answer as well. "It's the Book of Regeneration. Those four had it, so I had to get it from them. They probably would have sold it." Eva replied.

"How did you manage to get them to part with it?" Raine asked, narrowing her eyes at the green-haired girl.

"I threatened to reveal them as impostors to the Governor-General." Eva answered. "They were pretending to be the Chosen's group to get money and stuff from people. I told them that if they gave me the book I wouldn't tell on them."

"That's awesome! Way to go Eva!" Lloyd said with a huge grin.

Eva nodded. "Thanks."

Raine sighed and shook her head. "How about we get rooms at the Inn and figure out where to go next." She said. She wasn't sure whether to believe the girl's story or not, but if they had the Book, then it would make their journey easier.

* * *

**Aaaaaand... end of chapter. Finally. Felt like it took friggin forever... .**

**I hope you at least enjoy this chapter. It's shorter than the others, but still long enough. **


	10. Escape? Failure and Success!

**Wow... I mean... WOW! I only got like... one review after posting chapter 8. And with chapter nine... MUCH bigger reception. I want to thank you guys for being so awesome and reviewing my last chapter.**

**I am so sorry this chapter took so long to get up, I was in a hard place and having some MAJOR writer's block. And then a lot of stupid family crap came up as well as a nasty bout of Depression on my part. Thankfully all that stuff is done and over and I'm back to my usual self. Still, I am sorry it took this long.**

**Also, this chapter largely revolves around Lara and the Renegade Base. Next chapter will revolve around the other characters more.**

**So, the usual. I do not own this, only my OC's.**

* * *

**Chapter 10 - Escape? Failure and Success!**

"You do realize of course that you're not actually giving me a tour, right?" Lara asked again as she followed behind Botta. The large, muscular half-elf had been assigned, or rather, ordered, to keep an eye on her while Yuan was out. She didn't really care about it too much, she spent most of her time in the room, locked up. But when Botta had asked if she wanted a chance to stretch her legs and walk, she accepted.

Botta glanced back at her and sighed. "Yes, of course I realize that. However, I can't help that you're far more perceptive than most humans I've met." He replied with a sigh. She'd already known he had an accent, but she couldn't place it exactly. He sounded a little British, but there was something a little more complex with his accent that made the exact origin hard to place.

Lara shrugged. "Just making sure." She shoved her hands into her pockets and continued to follow him. The hallways all looked the same, and were incredibly confusing, but there were ways to tell which way you were going. It was only a matter of paying attention to your surroundings, and that was something she was good at. She'd always had a better memory for landmarks than for spoken or written directions.

"How many humans have you known, Botta?" She asked after the silence became unbearable.

He sighed. "Far more than you've had a chance to know." He replied.

_Probably trying to sound cryptic._ She thought to herself. Botta didn't have the same voice or personality to sound cryptic the way Yuan always pulled it off. Instead, the statement only made him sound old, which he probably was. Far older than her anyway, which made sense considering he wasn't human. Well, he was half human.

"So... that's a lot, right?" She asked. He sighed again. "Sorry, I'm just trying to make conversation." She admitted. Because really, the past week had been so boring that she found this one conversation, or lack thereof, with Botta, to be a vast improvement.

Botta stopped walking and turned to look at her. "Just why are you so eager to talk to me? I am a-" He said.

"A what? A Half-Elf?" She asked. "So what? I don't care what your race is. You've been nice enough to me, so it's only fair for me to be nice in return. That's how common decency works." She told him.

He deadpanned and stared at her for a while, probably trying to determine if she meant it or not. Finally, he shook his head. "Most humans don't look at it that way." He replied.

"I think you should say most 'people'." She said, letting her own expression deadpan. "Because even half-elves have the same issues with common decency. Humanity and stupidity are like a disease, one that has no cure, but that doesn't mean everyone shouldn't at least try to find a cure for it."

Botta's brow raised in confusion at her words. "That's an... interesting way to put it." He said after a moment. "Are you feeling better now?" He asked.

Lara blinked. "Huh?" It wasn't until he mentioned all the walking they'd just done that she realized what he meant. "Oh... yeah. I'm alright. I think I can stand being locked in a room for another day or two now." She replied with sarcasm.

She smiled when she saw that Botta looked even more confused than before and she shook her head. "I'm being sarcastic. Seriously, though, I'm okay." She said this time.

Botta frowned but nodded anyway. "Very well, let's get you back to your room then." He said, leading the way back.

When the lock on the door clicked into place, Lara heaved out a sigh and turned to face the room. Obviously nothing had changed since her walk, but her mood had brightened a little, and her thoughts were clearer than before. She smiled as she walked over and sat down on the bed. "I guess I should get an update from Lloyd." She said softly to herself. They had kept in touch ever since Lloyd tried to contact her before Palmacosta.

She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to feel for the connection between them, through the exsphere. '_Lloyd? Are you there?'_ She asked, hoping he would be able to answer quickly.

_'Lara! Hey, it's good to hear from you again! Are you okay? Anything new happen?'_ He asked her.

_'Not really, although I managed to get a sort of tour of the base.'_ She answered, smiling at the thought.

_'H-how'd you do that?'_ Lloyd asked, sounding really surprised.

She laughed and sensed his confusion growing. _'Sorry, I was thinking to myself. Anyway, one of the... Desians, asked if I wanted to stretch my legs, so they led me around.'_ She explained.

_'Wow. That's pretty smart. Do you think you'll be able to escape soon?'_ He asked this time.

_'Yeah, I'm already working on a plan. Where are you guys at now?'_ She asked.

_'We're uh... we just got back to the Palmacosta continent from Thoda Island. Genis fell out of the wash tub and nearly drowned, but Eva jumped in and saved him.'_ He told her.

Eva saved Genis? Now that was news to her. Lara had been friends with Eva for a long time, and although her friend was always kind and talked about wanting to save people, she usually never had the courage to. Eva had a hard time standing up for herself usually, let alone other people. But actually diving into water to save someone? That hardly sounded like her, and yet Lara was more than willing to believe it. She smiled, wishing she could have been there to see it happen.

_'That's incredible. I wish I could have seen that.'_ Lara said longingly, thinking of her friend.

_'It was really cool. We had to stay at the boat house when we got back so they both could dry off. Professor Sage said we need to head back to Palmacosta before we can look for the next seal though. So we're on our way there.'_ Lloyd said.

_'Alright cool. If I manage to get out of here, I'll contact you immediately. I gotta go.'_ Lara frowned, she was starting to wonder if she would get out of here in time to be of some help to the journey.

_'Okay. Be safe.'_ Lloyd replied.

She let the connection drop as she sat on the bed and looked around the room. She was still wearing the Renegade clothes right now, the blue shirt and dark pants. With a sigh, she got up and crossed the room to her pile of clothes. The bright pink and deep red were a welcome sight right now. Lara knelt down and started separating the pieces when her hand bumped into something too hard to be clothing. Her brow furrowed for a second and she lifted the red half-skirt to find the dagger from the Triet Ruins. She still had it, and for some reason, neither Yuan nor any of the other Renegades had noticed she had it.

She grabbed the hilt and looked at it carefully. It looked like an ordinary dagger, a tad long, incredibly sharp despite how old it must be. In fact, it wasn't rusted, and although it clearly should be viewed as an artifact, it was decent enough to be used as a weapon. Gently she ran her finger along the blunt edge of the blade until her fingertip reached the tip of the blade. "Ow!" She muttered as the sharp tip pierced her skin unexpectedly. It was a lot sharper than it looked.

Lara pulled it closer and looked at the edge, it was very fine, and she could see faint runes on the blade now. Were they... glowing? Yes, they were. As she watched the runes began to glow red-hot. How was it doing that? Was it because she'd cut herself on it? Clearly it was some kind of magic or something, activated by drawing blood? That was odd, but cool too. She sighed and put the dagger down, making sure to add it to her list of usable items for escaping.

After getting all her things organized, she looked around the room a bit more. Eventually, she noticed something she hadn't really paid any attention to before. It was apparently like a washer and dryer for laundry. Of course there were other uses for the machine, but right now all she cared about was the laundry factor. With a bright smile, she went and gathered her clothes and pushed them inside before choosing the settings and turning it on. A number appeared on the digital display counting down from twenty minutes. That was quick, but she doubted that was counting the time it would take to dry the clothes. Lara shrugged and headed back to the bed to sit down. This was going to be a long day, she thought.

* * *

Lord Yuan was right about the girl, she was very different. He wasn't sure what he'd expected from her, but certainly not her unique point of view. She was right though, about most people not thinking along the lines of common decency. People in general, she had meant, meaning humans, elves, and half-elves. Botta sighed after leaving the office room, the girl was locked in Lord Yuan's chambers again, so there was no chance of her escaping from there.

Botta knew there was another way out of that room, but the girl clearly hadn't discovered it yet. And since that was true, there was little reason to worry about it. If she hadn't found it by now, there was little chance of her finding it any time soon. He walked down a few halls and entered a training room. They had just gotten some new recruits and Lord Yuan had asked him to show the new members the ropes around here.

After a few grueling hours of training exercises, he showed the new members around the base. He didn't lead either of them to the office or tell them about Lara. Neither of them could be trusted with Lord Yuan's secret either, so he simply told them the office was off limits. And that if any of them needed him, they could call for him over the intercom system. When that was settled, he helped them settle into their assigned rooms.

"Excuse me, Lord Botta?" One of the new recruits spoke up.

Botta paused and turned around to face the man. "Yes?" He asked, raising a brow at the other.

"When will we get to infiltrate the Desian ranches?" The man asked.

Botta smiled slightly. "Only after I've deemed you fit for the task. Until then, you and the other recruits are in training. Obey orders and work hard, and you'll be on an infiltration team only when you're ready." He answered. "Are there any more questions?" He asked.

"No sir!" The recruits saluted him and entered their rooms.

The rooms were a bit more like dorms, with several beds and chests for keeping personal items. There were eight people to a room in order to accommodate the size of their organization. And the base was larger than it looked from the outside, with sub-levels and upper floors.

A few hundred years ago, Botta had been new to this organization, picked out of a group of recruits by Lord Yuan for a special assignment. It had been difficult, but he'd obeyed the orders given to him and completed his task without too much difficulty. A couple of years after that, Lord Yuan asked him to do another dangerous mission, and he finished that one as well. Then Lord Yuan asked him if he wanted to be his right-hand man, second-in-command of the base. About fifty years ago, Yuan suggested that Botta become the face of the Renegades, taking the part of leader without actually being the leader.

He'd never guessed when he started here that he could rise to such a role, and yet here he was now. Botta was one of only a few officers that knew Lord Yuan was the true leader of the Renegades. No one else even knew that Yuan was here, since he was careful not to be seen in his own clothing and armor. Lord Yuan always left wearing the standard issue gear that all officers wore.

Of course, right now he had other things to deal with. Botta felt the need to smack himself for standing around reminiscing. There was no time for that, not when the Chosen was out there releasing the seals and growing closer to becoming a full angel. With a sigh, he started moving again, making sure to check on everything. Eventually he ended up back at the office, which was where Lord Yuan usually was, dealing with paperwork. At least, this is where he would be if he weren't out trying to gather information from Cruxis.

Botta sighed and moved to the desk before sitting down. He didn't have to worry about the paperwork, since it was already taken care of. If anything, he had to worry about the girl in the other room. He'd already let her out of the room for a chance to stretch her legs, and now he just had to leave her alone. She could feed herself in there, and the room contained everything she needed to survive. Still, she was a curious creature, and although it wasn't really part of his job, he was curious about her. She was so different from other humans, her view of the world was unique.

He shook his head and sat back in the chair, trying to think of something else he could do right now. There wasn't much, not since he'd already taken care of his other duties. It was getting late too, and he knew that Lord Yuan should be returning sometime soon. When exactly he didn't know, but within a few hours, a couple of days... it would be soon enough, and then he could stop playing babysitter. Still, he wanted something to do, and maybe he could just talk to the girl a bit.

With a plan in mind, Botta stood up and circled around the desk before walking over to the locked door. He paused at the keypad, it sounded awfully quiet in the other room. Was she sleeping? It wasn't quite late enough for that, and he could sense that she wasn't by the bed. Frowning, he punched in the code that locked the door.

She startled him as soon as the door buzzed open. He managed to jump back in just enough time to avoid the swipe of the dagger in her hand. But he wasn't fast enough recovering to grab her as she darted through the room and out into the hallway.

"Martel damn it all!" He cursed as he got to his feet to chase after her. Lord Yuan would not be happy to hear about it if she managed to escape, so he had to catch her here.

* * *

After her clothes were all washed and dried, Lara had changed out of the renegade shirt and pants. She felt better to be in her own clothes again, and had even twirled around a bit to get a feel for movement of the half-skirt again. When she was satisfied that the movement wouldn't slow her down, she tried running a couple of laps around the room. The run was satisfactory, and she felt like she would be able to run through the base if she got the chance to escape. After that, she tied the sheath for the dagger to her belt and waited.

About an hour or two later she heard a door open and figured Botta had entered the office room. Silently she crept over to the locked door and slowed her breathing. She had to be quiet, and she had to be fast if he decided to visit her. She wasn't sure if Botta would do that or not, but considering his reaction to her words earlier, he might be curious enough. And several minutes later, he did not disappoint her. She heard his footsteps and she readied the dagger.

As soon as the door unlocked and buzzed open, she jumped out and swiped at him with the dagger. Lara felt a little guilty about it given her conversation with him earlier. But she wasn't doing this because of his race, she just wanted to get out of here and catch up to her friends. Botta jumped back to avoid the attack and she dashed for the other door, not looking back. Out in the hall, she turned in the only direction and started running. She had to try and remember on the run, which wasn't going to be easy, but she had to try.

At the intersection, she picked a direction and started down the new hallway. She startled a couple of renegades coming out of a large cafeteria room. They jumped back against the wall as she ran by them. It was a nice reprieve until they realized she must be a prisoner who escaped and started to chase after her. She could hear them behind her, and they were gaining on her. That wasn't good.

Immediately she dodged into a room, unaware of just how narrowly she escaped being grabbed. There were piles of boxes in here and she ran further into the room. It was a big maze in here, and she needed to find a place to hide. So far there was nothing, so she kept moving. Finally, she found a nook between a pile of boxes that was just large enough for her to squeeze into. She dropped to her hands and knees and crawled into the space before pushing as far behind the boxes as she could manage.

She was panting at this point, but she forced herself to breathe through her mouth as slowly as possible. Not only so she didn't hyperventilate, but also so she could be silent and avoid being found.

"Where did she go?" She heard one renegade ask. This one was male.

"I don't know, keep looking for her. She's got to be in here somewhere." The other replied. This second renegade was a woman, something Lara had neglected to notice as she ran by them. It was good to know the Renegades weren't gender-biased.

"Yeah, there's no other way out of here." The male replied.

Lara waited until their footsteps receded before letting her breath out in a sigh. She had avoided being discovered, and that was good, but now she needed a way out of this room without detection. And, she needed to avoid getting caught by Botta. Also, she was going to need a way to get through the desert. Considering her experience with heat stroke that first day, she doubted she would be able to cross on foot alone. With the heat and the monsters, she would die before ever reaching the Ossa Trail. She needed a way to get to the Palmacosta continent.

_The Rheiards!_ She thought after a couple of minutes. _Of course! That's the only way to bypass the desert and the Ossa Trail. Hopefully they have one fully charged so I can make it in time._

Alright, so now she had a means of escape, all she needed now was a plan to get out of this room and to the Rheiard hangar. If she could get there, she could access the panel, program the start-up sequence, and take off. First, getting out of this room. That was her biggest obstacle at the moment. Unfortunately, from where she was sitting against the wall behind these boxes, she wasn't in a position to see how to get out of here.

She needed to get to higher ground to do that. Lara took a deep breath and pushed away from the wall to stand. There was only one way to go about this without being immediately discovered... she had to climb. She looked at the boxes and frowned, they were as tall as she was. She shook her head and stepped back before taking a running start to jump. She managed to grab the top edge of the box and pull herself up a bit. Thankfully, her boots were getting traction against the wood and she was able to climb on top. But all the boxes were the same height, and she needed to get higher.

There was no time to rest either since those renegades were looking for her. If she wanted a head start, now was the time to get it. She jumped up the next box and pulled herself up, repeating the process from the first. It took twenty minutes, but eventually she made it up four more levels. She could see better from up here, but she wished she had her bow and quiver of arrows. It would be perfect for taking out the two renegades patrolling the room searching for her. As it was, she had to be careful and make this count.

Ignoring the threat of the guards right now, Lara looked around the room. There was the door she'd come through, and while it wasn't guarded, she wasn't certain of making that her escape. She needed a way to get out of here undetected. She shook her head and looked around some more. Fifteen minutes later she spotted it, a ventilation shaft, which was on the other side of the room. There was a path to it on the boxes, but she'd have to jump some areas, and climb on others. She'd make a lot of noise, and that was about as bad as going out the way she came in. She needed a distraction, but she had no idea how to make one without revealing herself. After all, it wasn't like she had a partner to help her out.

She was starting to get a bit frustrated by this. Her attempt at escape was so stupid, and she'd done it without any real planning ahead of time. She felt like an ignorant kid playing secret agent, and she hated feeling like that. She was a teenager, sure, but she wasn't a kid, and she wasn't stupid. And this whole thing so far was not only blowing up in her face, but making her feel insecure. Lara was just about to give up and go for the door when the two renegades suddenly up and left the room. She waited up on her box for a few minutes, expecting them to come back in, but nothing happened.

She thought about going for the door again, but those two knew she'd hidden in here, and had probably locked the door from the outside. Seeing as she didn't know the code, her only means of escape now was through that ventilation shaft. Sighing, Lara looked around and caught sight of it again before she started moving for it. She crept along the boxes, still trying to avoid making too much noise just in case. Thirty minutes later she came to her first jump.

She took a few steps back and ran for it, jumping the distance with no problem. She dusted herself off and moved on. This was going to take time, but it would be worth it when she got out of here. Twenty minutes later she jumped the next distance. It was a bit farther than the last one, and she only just managed to catch the box with her chest and arms. Her lower body was dangling, and she'd lost her breath from slamming into the side of the box, but she clawed her way up and flipped onto her back to rest for a minute. That had taken more out of her than she'd expected.

Two minutes later, she got back to her feet and started moving again, she couldn't lay down forever. She made it to the box she had to climb after five more minutes and jumped. Climbing took more effort now that her arms were starting to shake from the exertion. She had to get out of here soon before she collapsed from exhaustion. Thankfully there was only one last box to climb before she was out of here, and that only took a couple of minutes to hurdle. She smiled at the ventilation shaft as she crept over to it. It was screwed on, but she had her dagger, so she could handle that.

A few minutes later she was crawling through the shaft space. It wasn't very large, but she was small enough to fit inside. She couldn't move too much vertically, but she had just enough room to lift her head an inch and crawl. She'd been unable to turn and put the grate back over the opening, and that was unfortunate, but she was in here. She edged forward on her elbows, wiggling through the space and trying to be quiet. Not an easy task, and she was sure that anyone below could hear her moving around through here. But no one was raising an alarm so maybe they thought she was a rat or something. Either way, that was to her advantage right now.

Lara wasn't sure how long she spent in the vent, but it was growing close to an hour, maybe two, and she wasn't even close to her destination. She could hear voices from rooms, so she knew she was passing by something, but whenever she looked out, she saw nothing familiar. It was hard to tell from up here, but she couldn't come out yet. She swallowed the lump rising in her throat and started moving again. After another half hour she looked out and found what she was looking for. She could make out the shape of the hangar doors, the pit, the computers, and even the Rheiards. She smiled and started to unscrew the grate covering the vent, grabbing it by the bars before it could fall and hit the ground.

Gently, she pulled it into the shaft and she then edged her way out into the room. The place was abandoned right now, so she had some time to herself. Still, she was careful, too much noise and anyone could come running in here and find her. She didn't want that to happen.

Lara dropped to the floor, using a hand to steady herself, she stood up and walked over to the computer panel. She couldn't read the symbols, but the buttons themselves looked fairly self-explanatory. At least, she hoped so. There was a large red button, so she started by pushing that. The screen on the panel lit up and the computer seemed to start up, that was a good sign. There was a lever too, so she pulled that and cringed as she heard gears grinding. But it was because the lift carrying the Rheiards was activated. She watched as it leveled with the floor of the room and she bit her lip as she looked at the panel again. She had no idea what to do next.

Taking a bigger risk, she tried pressing another button, but nothing happened. She sighed and started testing buttons, hoping to make something good happen. Finally, she pushed the right button and the wings on the Rheiards opened up. Lara's hand shot up to her chest and she held it there, over her heart, as she gave thanks to God... or to Martel, for giving her a break.

"Finally, I can get out of here." She said softly. Lara moved away from the computer panel and started walking towards the now active Rheiards.

She sensed it a second too late. She turned around to see the threat and came face to face with a ball of electricity. Before she could make any sense of it, of anything really, she was screaming as several thousand volts coursed through her body. Lara could feel her body twitching with the effort to stay standing, but her muscles broke down and she fell to the floor. She was still twitching, but her body was numb and aching now and every attempt she made to move only ended up in her hands flopping into her face or hard against the solid metal floor. And that hurt... a lot.

"I thought you would come this way." She heard Yuan's voice speak in a very annoyed tone.

Lara tried to swallow, but even that was difficult, and she couldn't turn her head to see him. She heard his footsteps though, and a few seconds later he came into her line of sight. She could see the anger and frustration on his face, but right now all she could think about was how he'd attacked her.

"When Botta told me you managed to get away from him, I thought you would head for the exit. Of course, that was a stupid idea, seeing as you're all alone, and have no way to survive the desert by yourself. Then I remembered how you and your friend, Eva, seemed to know so much about this place. If you were looking for a way out to your friends, if had to be further inside than out." Yuan said as he stepped towards her.

For a split second she was afraid he was going to kick her while she was down. But instead, he stooped and lifted her from the floor, not looking at her face. He still looked angry, and Lara found that she felt more guilty than she did before.

"You said you weren't going to try to escape again." Yuan added after a few minutes of silence. He was carrying her out of the room and down the hall.

To be perfectly honest, she'd never really promised that. She had mentioned she realized how stupid her attempts were, but not that she wasn't going to try again. Still, it had the right sting to it and she closed her eyes. She was tired from her efforts, and the fact that she couldn't really move on her own right now made her more lethargic. Plus, she didn't want to look and see how angry he was at her.

Several minutes later, Yuan was setting her down on the bed and she turned her head away from him. She was starting to get feeling back in her limbs, but not enough that she could get up. And there was definitely no way she was making another escape attempt today or tomorrow. She refused to look at him, or even speak to him, until she heard him leave the room and lock the door. Alone again, she closed her eyes and let herself do something she hadn't really done in a while... she cried. The tears fell without restraint, and she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

"Botta, this door stays closed. Unless you hear me give express command to open it, no one enters this room." Yuan said, glaring at the dark-haired man.

Botta frowned and bowed his head. "Of course, my Lord." He replied.

Yuan sighed and waved his hand. "You are dismissed. I have work to do here. Go get some rest." He said, not looking at the other half-elf anymore.

The door opened with a hiss and Botta was gone. Yuan sat back in his chair and stared ahead at the wall, deep in thought. To think that she had tried to escape again, and had nearly succeeded, even. If he hadn't thought to check the hangar, she would be gone by now. It wasn't often that Botta failed a mission, but Kratos had interfered with killing the Chosen. And the man's daughter was clearly far more tricky than he'd given her credit for. Still, according to Botta's report, while Lara had struck out at him to catch him off guard, she hadn't aimed to kill. Of course, that fact might have had more to do with the fact that she was wielding a dagger and not her usual bow and arrow, but still.

Yuan sighed in frustration again as he rubbed his temples. He had been called back to Derris-Kharlan by Mithos, and had left for the express purpose to getting information on Cruxis. It had taken him all of three days to make it there, receive the information he needed, and come back. And in that time, Lara had nearly escaped from Botta of all people. It wasn't easy to surprise that man, or get past him, and yet she had managed it. So what did that say of Lloyd, who was clearly not as intelligent as his sister? It didn't bode well, that much was certain.

He sat deep in thought for several hours when the door to his office opened with a hiss. Closing his eyes in anger, Yuan turned around in the chair, wondering what the problem was now? He dismissed Botta earlier, and wasn't expecting anyone else to report to him. When he opened his eyes, he paused and stared at the man before him. The long black coat trimmed in white, the dark pants and sturdy black leather boots. And long flowing platinum hair, with bright green eyes. The black crystal exposed on the man's chest glowed with a faint dark aura, and Yuan narrowed his eyes.

"Alexander... just what brings you here?" He asked darkly.

The man smiled faintly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I think you know exactly why I am here, Yuan. You have something, or rather... some_one_, that I have need of." Alexander spoke calmly, ignoring the dark look directed at him.

"She is in my custody. There is nothing you can do, or say, that will make me hand her over to you!" Yuan replied hotly, his eyes narrowing in anger.

Alexander just laughed. "Is that so? Well, I did not come here to take her away from you." The silver haired man replied, just as calm as before. He showed no sign of being intimidated.

This caught him by surprise, and Yuan watched Alexander carefully. "What do you mean?" Yuan asked.

Alexander shrugged. "I mean, I don't need to take her from her, whether you give me permission or not. She will eventually escape from here and reunite with her friends and family." He replied, gently sweeping strands of his long hair over his shoulder to fall behind him. "However, it would be in both our best interests... if she were to make it back to them soon." Alexander added, pausing and looking over at the locked door.

Yuan scoffed and leaned back in his chair to stare at him. Alexander had never been the most trustworthy person, and usually anything he said was lies to manipulate others into doing exactly what he wanted them to do. Yuan refused to believe anything he was saying, but the man did have a tendency to know what was going on, and what was going to happen next. So he might as well ask at least. "And just why is it so important she escape?" Yuan asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Alexander smiled and turned to look at him. "Oh. It's quite simple really. If she escapes, she has more time to spend with her brother, and her father. More time to get him to see that helping Mithos is not the right path. She's not doing you any good sitting around in that room all day." The man replied.

"So you want me to, what? Let her go? After all the trouble I've gone through to keep her here." Yuan frowned, waiting for the response. He knew, before the words even left the man's lips, that he wasn't going to like the answer.

"That is precisely what I want." Alexander replied smoothly.

Yuan stood from his chair in one fluid movement, glaring at the man on the other side of his desk. "What do you get from this? For what purpose do you want her to be free?" Yuan asked, even though he knew he wasn't going to get a direct answer.

Alexander's smile twisted into a nasty grin. "That... is for me to know. Still, her freedom benefits us both, and that is what you should be thinking about." He replied and turned towards the door out. "Now, I shall leave you to your thoughts. Martel knows you've been so busy lately..." He said with a smirk as he walked from the room.

Yuan's hands balled into fists with the man's departure. Alexander Morgan was a man who always got on his nerves, even before he'd become immortal. The bastard had been human once, but during their journey to save the Kharlan tree, Alexander had made a pact with a Demon Lord of Niflheim. It was that pact that made him so powerful, why he was still alive today instead of rotting in the ground. The man could never be trusted, and his words were like snakes. But still, Yuan couldn't deny that Lara's presence here wasn't really helping him. He was only wasting resources trying to keep her here. He'd be better off letting her escape and simply keep track of the Chosen's group.

But if he let her go, he would lose the only leverage he had against Kratos; who was currently half a world away on the Palmacosta continent. So she really wasn't doing him any good here. Especially since they weren't even coming back here to rescue her. Still, if he could get his hands on Lloyd, there was little doubt the group would turn back around to save him. And then he'd have both of Kratos' children as leverage.

A few hours later, Yuan was readjusting the helm on his head so he could pretend to be an ordinary Renegade. About an hour after Alexander had left, he'd made his decision to let Lara free. But he didn't want her to think that she was going to escape without help. And he didn't want her to know that he was simply letting her go free, either. So he'd gone and retrieved one of the uniforms to change into. Normally, he kept his in his chambers, but Lara was currently in there, and he didn't want her to wake up and see what he was doing.

After strapping the standard sword to his belt he took a deep breath and moved over to the locked door. He would have to make this seem good, so he charged his mana and shot a bolt of energy towards his desk. He made sure to knock a few items over to make a bang before he hastily unlocked the door and ran into the room. As expected, Lara was sitting up on the bed, staring wide-eyed at him. She had a dagger in her hand.

"There's n-no time t-to explain! I've g-got to g-get you o-out of here!" He said hastily as he hurried over to her side of the bed.

Lara stood up and narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?" She asked.

Of all times for her to be suspicious, she had to choose now. Yuan shook his head, though he knew she couldn't see his face to tell that it was him. "I-I'm one of the new r-recruits. I o-overheard Lord B-botta saying s-something about p-punishing you for tr-trying to escape!" He explained as best he could, hoping she would buy it.

Her brown eyes widened a bit in surprise and she looked over at the door. "No, we c-can't go o-out that way! Come on!" He held out a hand to her, which she grabbed, albeit reluctantly. "Th-this way!"

Yuan led the way to one of the bookshelves and began scanning the books, pretending like he was trying to find the lever. He knew this route well enough, having used it from time to time. Finally he let out a sigh and he pulled on the book, activating the gears in the wall. The bookshelf slid out of the way and he ushered her inside before following suit.

* * *

Lara was standing just a few feet away, staring at the entrance as the bookshelf slid back into place behind him. "I knew there had to be a secret exit. It's always the bookcase!" She slapped a hand to her head, annoyed with herself for not checking it earlier. It would have saved her all the trouble of getting past Botta.

"There's r-really no t-time. We n-need to get you o-out of here before anyone r-realizes what I've d-done." He moved past her and started down the narrow path.

It was quite a bit darker in here than in the room, but there was some light in the form of dimly lit orbs overhead. She looked up at them, they were in the ceiling, so they were obviously electric. But it was hard to say really, they didn't have the same glow as ordinary lights. She bit the inside of her cheek and shook her head before she moved on, following the Renegade. Just who was he, and why was he helping her? Sure, he'd said it was to save her from Botta's supposed punishment, but she doubted that was really the case. Still, she wasn't going to deny that she could use the help. After all, the sooner she got out of this place, the sooner she could join back up with her friends and family.

"I don't know who you are, or how to thank you, but... thanks." Lara said after a few minutes of silence.

The renegade looked back at her and smiled slightly. "You're welcome, and m-my name is L-liiron." He replied.

"Liiron. That's a very interesting name." Lara said, going deep into thought again. His voice was nice, kind of familiar, but different at the same time. Something about him told her that she could trust him, and she had her suspicions about the reason behind that.

"M-my mother n-named me. My name means 's-slow one' in Elvish." Liiron admitted rather shyly.

"That doesn't seem very nice." Lara returned, walking faster to try and keep pace with him. He had longer legs than her and he was walking pretty fast, so she had to try and keep up.

"Ha, maybe. But she n-named me just after my f-father dropped me on my h-head. It was his f-first time holding a b-baby and his hands s-slipped." Liiron was looking straight ahead.

She couldn't quite stifle the laugh that bubbled up from his explanation, so it came out in a short burst before she covered her mouth. "S-sorry. That's really not funny. But I can understand now why she named you that." Lara said softly, trying to make up for the laugh she couldn't hold in.

"I-it's okay. I laugh about it now t-too." Liiron admitted with a smile. "We sh-should come across the other end of the p-passage soon."

"You stutter a lot. Are you nervous about something?" Lara asked him. She was curious about how he knew the exit was coming up soon, but figured it wasn't the right time to question him about that.

"Th-this is the f-first time I've ever really t-talked to a human b-before." He said, stuttering more noticeably this time. He stopped walking briefly and glanced her way. "S-sorry."

Lara smiled and shook her head. "Don't be sorry. It's okay. I'm not going to bite you or anything. After all, you're helping me out even though you don't need to." She said.

Liiron nodded his head a bit and smiled back at her. "Thanks." He turned and started walking again.

Eventually they came to a stop again and Liiron pulled a lever built into the wall. For several long seconds nothing happened, and then there was a grinding sound as the doorway slid open. He peered out into the hallway, making sure to see if the coast was clear before he waved for her to follow him.

Lara smiled and stepped out into the hallway, where the lights were much brighter. She had to rub her eyes against the harshness of the change before her eyes adjusted. "Where to? I don't recognize this hallway." She said aloud as she looked around. There was nothing here in the way of a landmark from her little tour with Botta earlier.

"Well uh... the main e-entrance is this way." Liiron said, pointing down the hallway.

Lara shook her head. "That's no good. I need the Rheiards if I'm ever going to meet up with my friends again. Without them I'll probably die in the desert." She returned.

"I-I see... well, the hangar is b-back that way. Follow me." He said before he started to lead the way again.

Lara started trying to make a mental map of this route for later. After all, it might just come in handy after the Tower. Of course, it was a bit early to be thinking about things like that, but still. The walls and floor looked just as uniform as the rest of the base, and the only noticeable markers were on the doors they were passing by. Most of them only bore numbers, and others had a letter followed by a number.

She wanted to understand what the letters stood for, but there wasn't any time. Liiron sped up a little around the next corner and down a long corridor to a large door. Lara wasn't sure exactly what she was expecting, but she was glad to see the hangar when the door opened. A smile broke out on her face as she stepped into the room.

Liiron immediately walked over to the control panel and began inputting codes. The hydraulic lift containing the Rheiards began to move, stopping at their level and the wings opened on the purple one. Lara walked over and watched as he typed in a few commands on the keyboard, but she had no idea what any of it was saying. This was probably the most frustrating thing she'd come across. She could understand the people of this world just fine, but read the written language? No way!

"There's enough f-fuel in that one to get you b-beyond the Ossa Tr-trail." Liiron said as he stepped away from the control panel.

Lara looked over at the activated Rheiard and frowned. "Only that far? My friends are on the Palmacosta continent." She sighed.

"I'm sorry, I j-just don't know the c-codes for the other ones." Liiron admitted with a frown of his own. "It's... b-better than n-nothing."

She bit her lip and nodded. "Yes, you're right, of course. It is better than nothing, so... thank you." She turned to him and smiled. "If I travel fast enough, I should at least be able to meet them near Asgard."

"G-good l-luck." He swallowed and looked down at his feet.

Lara smiled and laughed a little bit. "Thanks." She ran over to the active machine and got on, looking over the controls. It was a fairly simple design despite how complicated the technology was. She grabbed onto the handle bars and pressed the only button on the console. Apparently, the button was used to activate the launch sequence, because suddenly she was holding onto the handle bars for dear life as the Rheiard was propelled from the hangar out into the bright sunlight.

The nose started to tip downward and she pulled back on the steering mechanism to adjust. The Rheiard leveled out and she turned in the direction of the mountains, and hopefully, the Ossa Trail. It took close to an hour to find the actual path and by then she was starting to get low on power.

Lara carefully flew over the mountains and began making a steady descent so she could land somewhere close to Izoold. She was going to have to start somewhere, and it was the first place to look. If she could manage to buy passage over to Palmacosta, that would be perfect. If not, she would have to travel by foot to Asgard, and hope that she didn't die on the way there. Gently she touched down in the woods just a mile or so out from Izoold.

* * *

To be completely honest with himself, Yuan was not happy about what he'd just done. After watching Lara leave on the Rheiard, he started to have doubts about his decision. Unfortunately, he was not in much of a position to take it back now. She was gone and he knew that keeping track of her and the Chosen's group was going to stretch his resources enough. Still, the deed was done and he now had to live with it.

Yuan took off the helmet and adjusted his ponytail, staring at the hangar. He turned around just as the door behind him opened to reveal Botta. The younger half-elf looked a bit surprised to see him in here, his brows furrowing in confusion.

"Lara is gone, Botta. I want to see what happens with her in the Chosen's group." Yuan said before his companion could ask. "Send out a scout to keep track of them, and report everything you hear to me. I don't want to miss any information." He said.

"I... yes, sir. I will find someone for the job and let them know what to do. Should I have them report to me?" Botta asked.

"Yes. I need to be cautious, now more than ever. I want to receive any information from you and you alone. Choose your scout carefully." Yuan said as he started to walk from the room. "I need to speak to Ruby about taking charge of the Ranch Infiltration Team."

"Ruby?! Sir, are you sure you can trust her with that operation?" Botta looked shocked.

Yuan looked back at him and frowned. "We don't have much choice. Our resources are stretched thin as it is. And besides, Ruby has proven her worth just as much as you did when you first joined this organization. I have to believe that she will perform well." He said bluntly as he left the hangar behind.

Ruby was not his first choice for the R.I.T. operation, but she was reliable and efficient. Her loyalties were somewhat questionable given her familial ties, but she had lasted this long as a double agent. She had a broader connection to the Desian ranches than Botta had, mostly because the Desians and Cruxis didn't yet realize she was working with the Renegades to begin with. Still, he had to see where her thoughts were at before assigning her.

After traversing many halls, Yuan arrived at one of the dorm rooms. Most of the higher ranking officials were assigned to this dorm. The renegades in this room all knew his identity as Leader of the Renegades, and as a member of the four Seraphim of Cruxis. Each one of the four people assigned to this dorm had earned their place as well as his and Botta's trust.

The door opened with a hiss and he stepped into the room. Only two people were in here at the moment, a young male named Drevin, and Ruby. Drevin was a Training Officer, in charge of teaching new recruits about the importance of staying in character among the Desians. He had short light purple hair and golden eyes, and had spent half of his childhood being raised by the Desians. Yuan didn't really know just what made the boy change sides and leave the Desian organization, but he was a definite asset to the Renegades. Since the kid joined, less renegades were being called out as 'spies.'

As for Ruby, her appearance was set apart from everyone else in the entire base. She had lightly tanned skin and very pale platinum blonde hair. Her eyes were slim and narrow, though they were clearly wider and more open than her brother's. But the strangeness of her eye color was what really alerted you to her particular ties. The black sclera and red irises so reminiscent of her brother Kvar.

Ruby and Drevin looked up as he walked into the room, the boy was smiling while Ruby regarded him with silent calculation. Yuan glanced at the boy and nodded towards the door. Drevin immediately took the hint and got up from his seat to walk past him out the door, leaving him in the room with Ruby. She smiled slightly, but remained silent, realizing that he had to be here for something important.

"Hello, Ruby. It's been a while since the last time I gave you an assignment." Yuan said shortly.

"Lord Yuan." She nodded her acknowledgement, still regarding him with those eerie red eyes. At least her expressions weren't as cold and cruel as those her brother dished out.

"How has it been for you? It can't be easy having to lie to family." Yuan said, trying to gauge her thoughts.

She chuckled lightly and leaned forward in her chair. "My brother is an idiot, following that ridiculous vision. Lying to him may not be easy, but it is necessary." She replied easily. "As for how things have been for me, I've been well. It's not as easy to fit in here, everyone seems to assume I'm like my brother. But I've managed to at least get others to trust me if not like me."

The corner of his lip twitched, but he resisted the urge to smile at her response. "I see. Your head is definitely in the right place." Yuan said mostly to himself. He turned to her again. "I have a new assignment for you."

"Oh? And just what will I be doing this time?" She asked, a curious but mischievous expression spreading across her features.

Yuan smiled slightly. "I need you to take over the Ranch Infiltration Team. Gather as much information as you can about each Ranch. The way they're run, the technology being used, the layout of the base, how many desians and prisoner's, and any other information that might be useful." He explained quickly.

"And what will Botta be doing during all of this? Isn't he usually in charge of that operation?!" She asked, her eyes narrowing almost into slits the same way her brother's eyes usually did.

"Botta is going to be busy with a new assignment. So I need you to take over this operation. You are the best choice for this seeing as you can go to each ranch without arousing too much suspicion. Botta usually has to sneak around, but you have the option to simply go in and look around under a different pretense." Yuan answered easily.

Ruby smirked and folded her hands together beneath her chin. "I see. Very well, I accept. I suppose any information I gather is to be reported directly to you?" She asked.

Yuan shook his head. "No, give your reports to Botta. I've already given him instructions that any information he receives is to come to me, from him alone. I'm trying to be as cautious as possible." He said.

She nodded slowly, her eyes turning thoughtful. "Right, the whole secret identity thing. Very well, I'll round up some soldiers and get prepared." She stood from her chair and headed towards the door to her separate room before she turned to look back at him. "You can expect the first report in a few weeks." She said with a smile as she disappeared into the room.

Yuan smiled and turned to leave the room, it was about time he head back to his office. Better yet, he was exhausted from the past few weeks of activity here, and it was past time he get to sleep in his own bed again. As an angel he didn't need to sleep very often, but he was still a living being, and sleep was a necessity of living. So here was just one more benefit from letting Lara go... he had his bed back.

* * *

Lara was on the path heading into the village of Izoold, but for some reason something felt off. She had been walking for close to thirty minutes and not a single monster had attacked her. That didn't feel right, there should be a lot of monsters around this area, and a lone traveler was a big target usually. So why weren't the monsters coming after her?

"Dammit! These things don't give up!" She heard a voice cry out nearby.

Lara paused on the path and looked in the direction of the voice. It was coming from the beach area outside of the village. She bit her lip in thought when she heard the scream and started running. When she made it to the sand she was surprised by the sight before her. The person in trouble was Sheena, and she was apparently being attacked by starfish. With a shake of her head Lara pulled out her dagger and threw it. The blade arced through the air and crashed dead center into one of the starfish as she ran forward to grab her weapon again.

Sheena looked over at her and smiled. "I'm glad you showed up when you did." She said as she pulled out her cards. She threw one at a starfish and performed a few hand signs. "Pyre Seal!" She shouted at the end and the card exploded, knocking the star back into the water.

Lara kicked a couple of them back into the water as well, frowning. Of all the enemies in this world, the most pathetic ones were the random starfish battles. You would think it would be easy to defeat them or get away, but they were rather resilient. Point made as one of the stars tried to cling to her boot and climb. Lara pried it off using her dagger before she tossed it into the water with her free hand.

A few minutes later the last of the enemies was tossed back into the water and Lara waited until the ripples died down. She relaxed when it became obvious that no more starfish were going to attack. Lara put the dagger back in her belt and turned to Sheena, who was panting slightly, and dripping water. Now that she was really looking at her, Lara noticed that Sheena was drenched, her hair was flatter than normal and her clothes were clearly soaked.

"Were you... swimming or something?" Lara asked, her eyebrows rising in confusion.

Sheena's cheeks flushed with color. "N-no, the boat I was on got attacked!" The older girl replied indignantly.

"Ah. So you had to swim for shore. I got it." Lara smiled and held out a hand. "I'm Lara, by the way."

Sheena gave her a strange look but eventually shook her hand and smiled back. "Sheena. Thanks for helping with those starfish." The dark-haired girl said.

"No problem. Hey, do you mind if I travel with you? I sort of got separated from my friends so I'm on my own until I can meet up with them again." Lara asked.

Sheena looked around nervously for a few seconds and eventually she sighed and nodded. "Sure. I was gonna head for Hima or Luin." The ninja girl replied.

Lara nodded. "That's fine with me. I'm hoping to meet up with my friends in Asgard. Having someone to travel with even part of the way there is great, thanks." She said.

"Well, you helped me out so I might as well return the favor." Sheena smiled.

She knew from the game that Sheena was actually a nice person, so the ninja's response didn't surprise her much. Lara smiled and gestured towards the village. "We really oughta get you some dry clothes. It'd be crazy if you got sick."

Sheena looked over at the village and laughed. "Uh, yeah, I guess. I hope the Inn has some spare clothes."

While it might be a bit unorthodox to be friends with Sheena this early in the game, Lara needed an ally right now. And of all the people in this world she could possibly choose from, she was glad she'd run into Sheena. It would have been better if she could have simply flown over the sea to the Palmacosta region and meet with the others, but this way was good too. "I'm sure they've got something to spare. But we have to stop there first to find out." Lara replied finally as they left the sandy beach behind.

* * *

**So... the chapter didn't turn out as long as I had originally thought it would when I started writing a few months ago. But again, things kept coming up, then the Writer's Block set in, family crap... and depression. Still, I got over 10k words, so I'm happy with it.**

**Once again, I am really sorry about how long it took to get this chapter out. I will be working harder on this and all my stories from now on. So please look forward to the next chapter.**


	11. A Palm Full of Trouble

**Alright, so here is the chapter with the other main characters. You know who I mean. I'd had a lot of trouble trying to figure out the beginning of this chapter when I was trying to write it as chapter 10. So I tried another approach with using last chapter to depict Lara and the Renegades base. I hope you all enjoyed it well enough.**

**Also, I want to apologize for the delay on this. I am DEEPLY sorry. A lot of crap came up, including serious writer's block that couldn't be solved even through role-playing. *sighs* But I still have every intention of finishing this fic, it might just take me a lot longer than I originally thought it would.**

**Also, I'm thinking of dropping _Threads of Darkness_ because I cannot for the life of me remember where I was going with that idea. *shakes head***

**Anyway, as usual, I do not own Tales of Symphonia or the characters from it. That right belongs solely to Namco-Bandai. I only own and control the OC's I bring into the story.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven - A Palm Full of Trouble**

"How soon will we know where to go next?" Eva asked, looking over at Raine.

The silver-haired woman had her nose buried deep in the Book of Regeneration. They had stopped at the Inn and payed for a room to get some privacy. Until they knew their next move they were waiting for her word. Although Eva could see that Kratos was standing against the wall impatiently. He knew where to go obviously, but talking about it was probably tricky, especially since Raine was already so suspicious of him.

"I need time to look over the book and decipher these riddles. We could be here for the next couple of days." Raine replied without looking up.

Eva sighed and looked around at the others. "Well, there's no helping that I suppose. Should we look around the city? There might be something to do to pass the time." She said.

Lloyd exchanged a look with Colette and Genis and they all turned to her, smiling. "Yeah, that sounds like fun." Lloyd replied.

Eva smiled back and stood up from the edge of the bed she was sitting on. "Alright." She turned to Raine, who was still busy with the book. "Raine, we'll be back later." She said.

Raine waved a hand at them. "Yes, that's fine. Just try not to get into any trouble." The older woman replied calmly, still clearly not paying attention to them.

"Of course, Professor." Colette answered with a big smile.

As they started to walk out of the room, Kratos pushed away from the wall to follow. Eva tried to hide her smile at how obvious he was being. Sure, he was doing it to keep an eye on Colette, but it was also because of Lloyd, and Eva suspected a small part of it had to do with her. After all, she did look kind of like Martel now anyway. She doubted she had the same facial and body structure as Martel, but the fact remained that she had the green hair and eyes, as well as the clothing. So with all those combined, she didn't look like herself, which was really just a pain. To think she usually didn't like her natural looks, and here she was wishing she could look like herself. She felt like a hypocrite.

"Where should we go first?" Colette asked, glancing one way and then the other down the street.

Genis looked just as confused and unsure of where to go. Eva smiled slightly and looked around. "Let's see, if I remember correctly, I read about the Palmacosta Academy here. There's the lighthouse, the church, and the marketplace, which as we all know, is not far from the docks." She said.

"You seem to know a lot about Palmacosta." Kratos said quietly.

Eva turned to him. "Yes. Lara and I lived in a village not far from here. She learned about the city in school, and would let me read her books." She replied easily. Another lie. Man, she was doing that a lot lately. She didn't like lying, it kept twisting knots in her stomach.

Kratos stared at her for a while, but eventually turned away. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the others. "So, where would you guys prefer to start off?" She asked.

"I bet the lighthouse is really nice to visit!" Colette spoke up, folding her hands together. "We should go there first."

"Yeah! That would be really cool!" Lloyd added with an excited grin.

Genis sighed and shook his head as he shrugged at their enthusiasm. "Lloyd, you know it's not good to get too excited." He said.

Eva laughed a little. "It's okay. A little excitement is good for now." She said. "So, we're heading to the lighthouse first?"

The others nodded and she started to lead the way. Of everything that had happened since Lara got captured, this was by far the strangest moment for her. Eva was always a follower, never the leader. She didn't like to make decisions, and she didn't like to take the lead... on anything, so being in front like this made her really nervous. She kept her pace slow so that she was walking almost side by side with Lloyd and Colette. She was ahead of them by only a few centimeters, if that.

It took only a couple of minutes to reach the lighthouse from the Inn. And they had passed by the marketplace to get here, so they could at least stop there on the way back. Eva wasn't sure if there was anything going on with this place. In the game, you weren't allowed to check out the lighthouse. But this world was more real, so maybe they would be able to go in? She hoped so, because otherwise, mentioning the lighthouse would feel like a total waste of time.

There was a guard posted at the door, but he was leaning on his spear, eyes closed. He looked fast asleep. Lloyd cleared his throat and the guy jumped in alarm, waving his weapon around before realizing where he was. "What do you kids want?" The guard asked them.

"We'd like to go up in the lighthouse." Eva replied.

"Umm... that's not... not possible." The guard looked from side to side. "There are ghosts inside. It's too dangerous for normal folk." He said.

Eva raised a brow at his comment about normal folk. No one in their group looked even remotely normal. She smiled politely at the guard, however, even while Genis was sighing in frustration. "That's okay. We're adventurers. If you'd like, we could take care of the ghost problem." She said.

"R-really?!" The guard looked around again. "I... I mean... That would be much appreciated, but... I can't... can't let anyone inside." He seemed really nervous now.

Eva was about to give up on this when Kratos stepped forward, staring at the guard with a steady, intimidating look. "We're going inside." The auburn haired man said in a neutral tone.

The guard swallowed and nodded, backing away from Kratos and moving out of their way. "D-don't... don't say I... didn't warn you." He said, trembling.

Eva was a little surprised that Kratos had stepped up to get them inside, but as she looked around, she saw the determined looks on Lloyd's and Colette's faces. Genis didn't look nearly as confident about this as they did, but she guessed Kratos had sensed the friend's intentions and decided to make this easier for all of them. She shrugged, because either way they were going inside, and ghosts or not, they were going to climb to the top of the lighthouse. She at least intended to have fun with this.

Despite the fact that it was daytime, the lighting inside the building was very dim. Immediately she felt like she was being watched and a chill crept down her spine. The place certainly had that haunted feeling.

"This is boring." Lloyd said from somewhere above.

Eva smiled and started up the steps after the others. "See? You get bored so easily, Lloyd." Genis was saying as she caught up to them.

"Sh-shut up, Genis!" Lloyd replied.

"What's that thing?" She heard Colette ask, her voice full of curiosity.

"Chosen, stay back!" Kratos answered. Eva guessed they had found their first ghost.

There was a landing up above, so she guessed that's where they were. "Sonic Thrust!" Lloyd called out. "Woah! It didn't work!"

"Of course it didn't work, Lloyd. It's a ghost, meaning it's intangible. Physical attacks don't work on ghosts." Genis explained in frustration.

"Aww man!" Lloyd complained.

"It's okay, Lloyd. You tried at least." Colette said.

"Okay, so how do we get rid of it?!" Lloyd asked, crossing his swords in a defensive stance as the ghost tried to attack him.

"Keep it distracted." Kratos replied immediately, red light swirling at his feet. Genis was also preparing a spell as Eva reached the landing.

"Th-that's easy for you to say!" Lloyd grunted as he was pushed back a bit from another attack. He tried to hit the ghost with his swords, but they had little to no effect on the spirit.

Eva bit her lip as she felt for the mana inside her. She had already discovered she was capable of healing, so maybe she could also attack with magic. White light began to swirl around her feet as she tried to stay focused.

"Fire Ball!" Kratos and Genis both shouted and the ghost shifted back a bit, dodging the majority of the two spells. Though it was still hit by the last two orbs of fire from each direction. Lloyd charged in to attack again, but still his swords had no effect on the ghost.

"Try this! Photon!" Eva called out as she unleashed the spell. Swirling light surrounded the ghost and then imploded. The spirit moaned as it turned towards her, reaching out with a pale, translucent hand. She moved to take a step back but her heel reached the edge of the stairs and Eva looked back as she grabbed onto the railing with her free hand.

"Lightning Blade!" Kratos thrust his sword through the ghost as a bolt of lightning shot through it. The spirit vanished with the attack and the landing was thankfully made of wood, which grounded the electricity rather than distribute it to everyone standing around. Kratos sheathed his sword and offered a hand. "You alright?" He asked.

Eva grabbed his hand and let him lead her away from the stairs as she nodded, trying to get her thoughts in order. "I'm mostly just glad I didn't fall down the stairs." She replied after a bit.

"Yeah, that would have been really scary." Colette said, but she was smiling.

"Please don't smile when you say things like that." Eva told her. "It makes me nervous."

Colette looked surprised. "Oh! I'm sorry!" The blonde replied swiftly.

"You don't have to apologize, Colette." Eva shook her head. "Anyway, let's see if there are any more ghosts to deal with." She said as she headed up to the next landing.

About an hour later they emerged onto the walkway around the top of the lighthouse. All the ghosts and spirits inside had been dealt with. Lloyd still looked upset that he hadn't gotten to fight them himself, but Eva was just glad that it was done. After all, the view from up here was pretty amazing. The water below was shifting gently and sparkling in the sun, and there was no sight of Izoold on the horizon. That made sense though, because it had taken them a few days to reach Palmacosta by boat.

"It's so amazing up here!" Colette sounded happier than ever as she leaned on the railing a little bit. Lloyd was standing next to her, smiling at the blonde.

"Yeah, I'm glad we came up here." Genis added.

She heard someone walking up to her from the left side so she turned her head to look at Kratos. He had a peculiar expression on his face, but he was looking out at the water and not at her. "You're thinking about something." She said.

* * *

Kratos already had a lot on his mind about the mission to see the Chosen safely to the Tower. Adding family ties, no matter how weak they were right now, was not helping. And Eva, she was the most unusual person he'd met thus far, and he was certain she was lying about a lot of things. Still, it was nice here at the top of the lighthouse, the wind carried the scent of the salt water from below. It had a calming effect on him, especially as it reminded him so much of Anna.

...

_"Anna, what are you doing?" Kratos asked as he watched her incredulously. They had come so far from the Asgard Human Ranch, but they still had a ways to go to get away from Kvar. And they didn't really have time to be sidetracked, not when it might cost them their son, or their lives._

_Anna looked over at him with her warm brown eyes. She was in the water, barely even waist deep, her hands firmly grasping their son, Lloyd. The boy was almost a year old now and had a nice head of brown hair. "We should at least teach him how to swim." Anna said before she looked down at the child._

_He resisted the urge to sigh as he followed her out into the water, not bothering to worry about his clothes. They had spares packed away in the wing pack anyway. "And why should we do that?" He asked._

_Anna laughed, the very sound that he loved the most about her. "You may not have grown up in Luin, but I did. My parents used to say that salt water runs in our veins." She said to him. "Swimming is supposed to come naturally to the Irving family."_

_Kratos chuckled and smiled as he reached out to her. She smiled at him and moved closer so they could both hold onto their son. As Anna began trying to show Lloyd how to swim, Kratos looked out over the expanse of water and wondered just what the future had in store for them._

_"You're thinking about something." Anna said to him. Kratos was pulled from his thoughts as he turned to look at her. Her expression was calm but concerned._

_"It's nothing, Anna. I'm just... storing this memory." He replied to her._

_The look on her face said that she didn't believe him, but she didn't ask. Instead, she returned her attention to their son who was smiling and giggling happily, splashing at the water with his small hands. Kratos couldn't help but smile at the sight of his son so happy. Leaving Cruxis and meeting Anna had been the best thing to happen to him. He felt incredibly lucky to have this moment with them._

...

"_You're thinking about something._" He heard Eva say. Kratos blinked as he tried to clear his mind of the memory before he looked at her.

"And why should that matter to you?" He asked calmly.

Eva shrugged as she turned around and leaned back on the railing. "No reason, it's just, you rarely seem to get lost in thought. I just wanted to make sure you were alright." She answered.

"Well, it's nothing, and you don't need to concern yourself with it." Kratos replied bluntly as he walked away from her. That girl was far too perceptive, and he knew he needed to avoid doing anything out of the ordinary. Of course that was harder than he thought seeing as his own son was rather reckless. It was bad enough when Raine grew suspicious, he didn't want or need anyone else to do the same.

Kratos looked over at his son who was talking with Genis and the Chosen. All three were laughing and smiling, and he couldn't help but be reminded of the past. But there was no time to get caught up in his thoughts again, not with everything that was happening.

"Hey look, seagulls!" Colette pointed out over the railing and the three kids leaned out to watch the white birds.

"It's like they're just floating there!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"That's because they're gliding on the wind right now." Genis explained with an exasperated sigh.

Lloyd's face turned red. "Sh-shut up!" The boy returned hotly. It didn't take much to rile the brunet, as Kratos had clearly noticed, but at least this situation was all in fun. If it was anything more serious, like with the Desians, he doubted it would have such a calm and friendly outcome.

"We've been up here for a while." Colette said.

The two boys opened their mouths to say something when a strange rumbling sounded. Genis jumped back and stared at Lloyd, his eyes wide with fear and surprise while the blonde Chosen simply smiled. Lloyd looked startled as well as he put a hand to his stomach. "Y-yeah. I think it's lunch time." He added.

"Well if you're hungry, we should go back down and find a place to eat." Eva said.

"Yeah, that's the best idea I've heard all day!" Lloyd smiled.

Kratos sighed as he turned away and took the lead down the steps. It was easy to hear them as they followed behind him. The sudden scrape along the metal alerted him and he spun around, catching the Chosen before she could fall. The girl blinked up at him, trying to catch her breath as he helped her back to her feet.

"Th-thank you." The blonde said, her eyes still wide from nearly falling.

"You're welcome, Chosen." Kratos replied simply as he continued the descent.

When they reached the bottom of the lighthouse, Kratos stepped outside and glanced at the guard, who seemed to be surprised to see him. He shook his head and moved away from the door so the others could exit. Colette was the next to step out of the lighthouse, followed by Lloyd and Genis, and Eva was the last to join them outside.

"Thanks for letting us go inside." Eva said to the guard, who jumped at the sound of her voice. "The ghosts are all taken care of now." She smiled before walking towards the marketplace.

* * *

Despite the size of Palmacosta as a city, there were only two places to get food; at the Palmacosta Academy cafeteria, and a dingy little bar by the end of the marketplace. When they asked about the cafeteria, everyone mentioned that you had to be a student or teacher at the academy to eat there. And no one they talked to recommended the bar. Still, Lloyd was really hungry so they went to the bar anyway to check it out. They promptly ruled it out as a place to eat. The lighting was dim, the tables were covered with dirt and grime, and about the only people who seemed to eat there were sweaty sailors from the docks.

The bar was filled with heavy smoke and a pervading odor that made Lloyd want to throw up. "We're not eating here." Kratos said darkly. Lloyd nearly choked as he felt the older man grab the white ties hanging down his back and pull him out the door.

"But it's the only place to go apart from the Academy. And none of us can eat there because we aren't students." Colette said, her expression was peculiar. He wondered what it was about.

"Genis, didn't you get an invitation to that school?" Lloyd asked.

Genis bit his lip and turned to look at the large building. "Well yeah, but I don't think that qualifies us to eat there." He replied.

Lloyd sighed, frustrated. He was so hungry, and this whole situation was really dumb.

"This poster says they need helpers in the cafeteria kitchen." Eva pointed out, her gaze fixed on the nearby bulletin board. "Maybe if we volunteer to help we can eat there after the lunch rush."

"What? But... I'm really hungry now." Lloyd complained.

"I'm sure Raine started cooking lunch while we were out. If you're hungry now, you can go ask." Eva smiled at him.

Lloyd twitched and took a step back. "N-no way! The Professor's food is... it's not edible." He said. You would think that she would be able to cook since she'd had to raise and care for Genis, but she was no good at it. He had tried her cooking once and nearly died. Well, that might be a little untrue, but it was so gross he _had_ passed out.

"Well then, stop complaining. This is our best option." Eva said. "Now come on."

Working at the cafeteria went surprisingly well. Sure, Colette tripped and fell a few times, but she somehow managed to get the customer's food onto their tables as she fell. Eva had also been a waitress while Genis and Kratos assisted in the kitchen, and Lloyd had been forced to help keep the kitchen clean. That part hadn't been too fun, but they did get to eat at the end of their shift. The food they were given was so delicious, it made the work they'd done feel worth it.

"Okay, now what? I don't want to return to the Inn yet." Lloyd asked, looking around at the others.

Colette smiled brightly as she placed her hands together in the usual manner. "I saw a really big ship when we were passing through the square." She said happily.

"Really? That sounds cool!" Lloyd exclaimed, sitting upright.

"Yeah, it was really big. We should go look at it." Colette replied.

"I don't know if that would be the best idea." Eva said hesitantly.

Lloyd looked over at her and noticed that she seemed to be upset by something. "Why?" He asked her. She wrung her hands in the skirt of her dress.

"No reason, I just have a hunch." She said softly, not looking at him.

"Well, I still wanna see that ship." Lloyd said. "Colette, you're coming too, right?" He asked.

Colette stood up with a smile. "Of course, Lloyd."

"I suppose it can't be helped." Eva sighed under her breath.

"What was that?" Lloyd asked her. She looked up at him, wide-eyed, but she shook her head and smiled after.

"Nothing, forget about it, Lloyd." She replied.

* * *

Okay, so according to the information she'd gotten, the Chosen's group had come across the water in the direction of Palmacosta. So she had paid for someone to bring her over here as well. But she had seen no sign of them yet. Sheena sighed as she wandered through the large city. It seemed this place was the biggest and grandest city on this side. Still, there was almost none of the same technology as back in Tethe'alla, it was kind of sad.

"Sheena!" She looked down at the little fox spirit and shook her head. "You'll find them, Sheena!" Corrine said, offering encouragement.

Sheena sighed as she walked down to the wharf. "This place is so big, and it's still pretty early in the day. What if they already left this city behind?" She asked. "I mean, if I missed them, then I'd have to hurry and catch up. And I don't like the looks of that mercenary. He nearly killed me that first time."

"But he didn't." Corrine replied. Sheena frowned as she stopped walking, taking in the look of the ship before her. It was a very grand looking ship... but it used steam power?! That took her by surprise.

"I can't believe these people are still using steam power!" She exclaimed without thinking.

"Hey, isn't that girl familiar?" She paused at the voice and turned slowly, eyes widening at the sight in front of her.

"Oh, yeah. It's that assassin from the Ossa Trail!" The boy in red exclaimed, pointing at her. Sheena frowned, didn't anyone ever tell him it was rude to point?

"Oh, hello Miss Assassin!" The Chosen said with a bright smile.

Sheena tensed and jumped back, getting into a fighting stance. But she felt people looking at them and knew this place was too crowded to fight them. She didn't want to hurt innocent people. "Tch! I'll kill you next time!" She said before running off back into the city. Corrine ran along beside her.

"I told you guys I had a bad feeling about coming down this way." She heard the girl, Eva say.

Sheena ignored the words until she could no longer hear them, and she eventually stopped in an alley. Trying to calm her breathing, she peaked out, but didn't see them. Maybe they didn't follow her? But why would they just let her go when they knew she was trying to kill the Chosen?

Well, she'd been right to follow them out this way, but now what? They had seen her, so they'd be on alert for her to attack, right? Actually, they hadn't reacted to her like she was an enemy at the wharf, but why was that? Was Sylvarant's Chosen really that trusting? "Argh! This should be easy!" Sheena complained aloud.

"Sheena!" She sighed and looked at Corrine.

"I'm fine. I need to figure out where they're headed next." She waited until Corrine was sitting on her shoulder before she headed for the Inn and a room. A moment later, she pulled a map out of her pack and smoothed it out. "According to Yuan, the seals are at the Triet Ruins, which we were too late for. The Island of Thoda, the Balacruf Mausoleum, and the Tower of Mana. Our best bet will be to head for the island before them and stop them from going inside." Sheena said.

"We'll get them this time, Sheena!" Corrine encourage.

She smiled and rolled the map back up. "Of course we will, Corrine. There's too much riding on my mission for me to fail." She said, though while she sounded determined, she felt nothing but unease. She'd killed plenty of people before, so why was she so apprehensive about this job? Because the Chosen was younger than herself? No... it was the girl's innocence that shocked her. She felt wrong killing someone who was only trying to save everyone else. But she had to do this.

"Let's rest up for tonight, Corrine, and we'll head out in the morning." Sheena put the map away and turned to the bed. Would she be able to get any sleep tonight? Frowning, she sat down on the bed for now to wait for night to come. She had to try, because staying up all night was out of the question. When night fell, Sheena slipped under the covers, but had a hard time getting any sleep.

Morning seemed to come far too quickly, as Sheena packed her things and left the Inn. The sun had barely risen as she headed for the entrance to the city. If she wanted to get to the island on time, she would have to leave now. Corrine walked along by her side, so she listened to the bells ringing in silence. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

"From what I've gathered, the next seal is here." Raine said, pointing at the map. "I can't decipher the other riddles yet, but they obviously point to other regions. We'll have to try looking in Asgard for the Seal of Wind and the Seal of Light seems to be the Tower of Mana." She sighed.

"How soon are we leaving?" The others asked. Raine looked over at them before she shook her head.

"We can leave a little later today to head for the Thoda Docks. Hopefully we'll get there in two days and be done with the next seal." She replied, looking over the map again.

"I don't know if things are going to be that simple." Eva said. Raine glanced at the girl and noticed she looked worried, which was highly suspect at the moment.

"And just what makes you say that?" Raine asked sharply, glaring at the younger woman. Eva flinched under her gaze and looked away from her.

"Nothing specific. I just have a really bad feeling... like something is going to happen." The girl replied softly.

That was suspicious as well, Raine decided. She didn't like having to travel with this girl, who she knew nothing about, or with Kratos. The man claimed to be a mercenary, but was far too skilled a swordsman to be a mere mercenary, and he knew far too much as well, revealing that he had a higher education, which most could not even afford.

"Well, whatever happens, we'll just take care of it!" Lloyd claimed, holding up a fist.

"Yeah, Lloyd's right!" Colette chimed in with a smile. "Everything will be fine as long as we stay together!"

"You guys are so naïve." Genis added with a shake of his head.

"Sh-shut up, Genis!" Lloyd said, flustered. Eva laughed softly at them.

Raine turned away from them and looked up at Kratos, who was standing by the door and glancing at the map. "What do you say, Kratos?" She asked. She may not trust the man, but he was being paid to keep Colette safe, so she might as well ask for his opinion.

"We don't need to leave the city immediately. And with any luck, we will reach the docks in just a couple of days." Kratos replied to her question.

Raine nodded and rolled up the map. "Exactly."

"Ow!" Genis cried out. "Lloyd! Let go!"

Raine turned around to see Lloyd had her brother in a headlock and was roughly rubbing the boy's head with his free hand. She sighed and grabbed her staff. "We might as well go outside. Boys, enough!" She said.

Lloyd let go of Genis and straightened while Genis tried to fix his hair. Colette and Eva were both laughing, but Raine shook her head. "Come on, I'd like to get a look at the city before we leave." She said.

She left the room without really waiting for the others to follow, though she knew they would be behind her. They might not be as interested in walking around the city again, but she had yet to get a good look at Palmacosta. However, she made sure to stay in the middle of the path, because the city was literally built over the water. A fact that made her extremely nervous, evident by her tight grip on her staff. But she didn't want it to show.

"Hey, what's all that noise about?" Colette asked.

"Huh? What noise?" Lloyd and Genis both asked.

Raine was ahead of them as they came to the square. Her eyes widened at the stage built there. She tried to grab Genis as he ran by her, but she missed by a hair. This was not good. She quickened her pace to see what was going on. A woman was standing on the platform, a noose around her neck. It took her a moment to recognize the woman as the shop owner who had given them the Palma Potion. This was definitely not good.

An array of Desian soldiers stood about in the square, forming a perimeter between the crowd and the newly erected stage. A large man with deep red dreadlocks and a purple vest walked in the cleared space between the crowd and the stage.

"Well, Vermin, see what happens to those who oppose the Desians?" He asked in a loud voice before he laughed.

A single Desian soldier stepped forward and held a piece of parchment in front of him. "This woman is accused of withholding items from paying customers, and outright opposing the Desians. This is a crime punishable by death!" He read from the parchment.

"Mom!" Chocolat came running through the crowd from the direction of the Church. But a few of the citizens of the city held her back before she could get anywhere near the Desians. Tears streamed down the girl's face.

Raine's hand gripped tighter on her staff, but she couldn't see any way to help here. At least, not until the lever was pulled, and Colette's chakram shot forward and severed the rope. She blinked in surprise and turned to the girl just as Lloyd ran forward and slashed at the soldier with the parchment. "Lloyd!" She cried out in horror.

Genis blocked a magic attack from one of the Desian casters. "Amateurs." He said with a shake of his head.

"You pigs dare oppose the Desians?!" The tall man with the red dreadlocks shouted, spit flying from his mouth.

Lloyd pointed one of his swords at the man. "I don't have to listen to you, Desian!" He replied angrily.

This was getting out of hand, but she wasn't about to tell them to back off. Still, it hadn't been their place to interfere. Raine sighed and glanced at Kratos, who was holding the hilt of his sword. He was in the right position to charge forward and fight if this turned ugly, but the tension wasn't high enough to go all out yet.

"Are you okay?" Colette asked, helping the woman up on the side.

The lead Desian snorted. "Pathetic vermin! You don't even know who you're dealing with!" The man smirked. "I am Magnius of the Five Grand Cardinals. You vermin are beneath me!" After that he ordered the soldiers to attack.

The first thing Raine saw was Kratos running past her, charging past Lloyd. The man drew his sword at the last second and slashed sideways at the nearest Desian. There was enough force in his attack to cut the soldier in half. She blinked as Lloyd started fighting as well, and Genis was already casting spells now as well.

"Lightning!" A Desian was struck by the spell and fell to the ground from the shock. Kratos finished that one before moving on to the next opponent. "Photon!" Raine called out before she noticed Lloyd had a few cuts so she began focusing on a healing spell when... "Heal!" Eva called out. Raine blinked and turned to the girl, noting the surprised look on the girl's face.

Finally the last soldier fell, leaving only the Desian sorcerers. Magnius scoffed in anger before the casters surrounded him and they vanished. Raine let out a sigh of relief and checked everyone to make sure no one was hurt. It looked like they were all fine, and Kratos hadn't sustained any damage at all. She felt that was suspicious as well, but now wasn't the time to ask about that.

"Eva, where did you learn that spell?" She asked, looking at the green-haired girl.

"I-I don't know. It just came to me." Eva replied.

Raine frowned at that and sighed before she walked over to Colette. "Are you alright Cacao?" She asked the brunette woman.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Mom!" Chocolat ran over and hugged the older woman. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault." She cried.

"Chocolat." Cacao hugged her daughter, tears in her eyes.

"Cacao, you should return home. Chocolat, take the rest of the day off. You should be with your mother." A priest said, walking over to them.

The two of them nodded and walked away. Raine watched them go and sighed, glad that this was all over. "I've seen enough of this city. We should move on as well." She spoke up.

"That would be best." Kratos replied, already turning to head for the exit.

* * *

It took them another couple of days to reach the shore where the Thoda Docks were located. The sun was just rising as they walked inside to find a girl sleeping at the desk. Eva looked around the room a bit as Raine walked over to the desk.

"Excuse me." Raine said.

Eva looked over, but the girl was still fast asleep. Raine tried nudging the girl to no effect. She sighed and walked over herself. "Raine, could you hold my staff for a moment?" She asked.

"Sure..." Raine sounded uncertain.

Eva handed the staff to the older woman and, now that her hands were free, she clapped as hard as she could right above the girl's head. A second later her head shot up as she jumped. Eva lowered her arms and smiled sadly before taking her staff back from Raine.

"What the hell?!" The girl shouted after she had a minute to calm down.

"I'm sorry, but we were looking for passage to Thoda Island." Raine explained.

"Oh, well why didn't you say so?" The girl asked, returning to the desk and sitting down behind it. She smiled at them. "We don't have any boats to rent at the moment, I'm afraid. The last one was rented by the Church for the pilgrimage just yesterday. But we do have large tubs to rent."

"T-tubs?!" Raine took an involuntary step backwards, she looked incredibly pale.

"Yes, they don't tip over, though. They're perfectly safe, and large enough for two people per tub." The girl continued, completely unaware of the woman's apparent fear. "So, since there are six of you, and it's 50 Gald per tub, that'll be 150 Gald." She said.

Eva watched as Kratos wordlessly handed over the payment, also ignoring Raine's discomfort. After that, they all followed him out to the docks and looked at the 'tubs'. The girl was right that they were large enough for two people, but they were still wooden washtubs.

"We need to split up into pairs." Kratos spoke up.

"I'll go with Colette!" Lloyd suggested immediately.

"Kratos should go with Raine." Eva suggested.

"No! I will not get into a... tub, with that man!" Raine protested hotly.

Eva turned to her. "He's the only one who could possibly keep you from falling into the water." Eva returned. "I doubt I would have the strength to keep you in the tub if it came to that. We would both likely fall out."

Raine looked away, her face even paler than before. "So that means I'm with you, Eva?" Genis asked.

Eva nodded. "Yes, I think that would be best." She replied.

"Fine! Let's just get this over with!" Raine said, trying to sound brave.

Despite her attempt to be brave however, it still took them a while to even get her into the tub. And after that, it took half a day to reach the island, maybe a little longer. When they finally reached the island docks, Eva helped Genis out of the tub before climbing out herself. She was exhausted, having spent most of the ride paddling, with only so much help from the Genis. The boy had grown tired halfway through the trip and then she had to paddle on her own.

"Eva, are you alright?" Colette's voice asked from somewhere nearby.

Eva looked up at the blonde, just as her vision started to blur. She couldn't think of an answer, it felt like her mind had turned to mush. "I..." It was all she could get out before she collapsed on the dock.

* * *

"EVA!" Colette cried out as the girl fell.

Raine hurried over and knelt down next to the girl. After examining her, she shook her head and sighed. "She over-exerted herself. We should let her rest." She said.

Kratos walked over and lifted the girl. "We should at least find a more comfortable place to rest." He said, before walking up the path to the geyser.

They found a place to set up camp off to the side, where he put her down. Lloyd and Genis went to find firewood while Raine sat by the girl's side to keep an eye on her. The Chosen was doing the same, keeping close to the girl's side, although she looked uncertain of what she should do. There really wasn't much any of them could do for the girl, so he sat and waited.

After building a fire, Genis cooked something for all of them to eat. Eva didn't wake up to the smell of food, nor while they sat around. It slowly grew dark out and the others all drifted to sleep over time. Kratos was the only one still awake by the time Eva started to come to. He glanced over when he heard movement and noticed she was starting to sit up.

"You're finally awake." He said calmly.

Eva looked around, noticing that everyone was asleep. "How long was I-?" She started to ask.

"About six hours. You collapsed shortly after arriving." He replied before she could finish.

She sighed. "It's already night again, but I don't think I can sleep any more than I just did." She said, looking over at him. "Do you ever sleep?" She asked.

He looked away from her, quietly gazing up at the sky. "That's none of your concern..." He said.

"The hell it's not!" She replied hotly. "You're always so distant. I can never tell what you're thinking! But I know there's something different about you! Why do you have to be so stubborn?!"

"You should keep your voice down. You'll wake the others." Kratos replied in a calm tone.

Eva stared at him for a while before she sighed and looked away. "I'm sorry." She said in a quiet voice.

There was an awkward silence after that, one that neither of them seemed willing to break. Kratos didn't usually engage in conversation, especially not with people travelling with the Chosen. Normally he was better at keeping his distance, but... He looked over at the sleeping form of his son. When he looked back up, he noticed Eva staring at him again and he turned away from her.

"You really care about him." She said softly. He was still able to pick it up with his angelic hearing.

"What makes you say that?" He asked despite himself. He hadn't intended to respond, but it just came out.

"No one else may have noticed, but you're always keeping an eye on him as well as Colette." Eva replied. "I can understand why you watch out for Colette since she's the Chosen. But for Lloyd, it's different. You're more patient with him than with the others. And every now and then I catch you looking at him... like you have something important to tell him, but you can't decide whether or not to speak."

Kratos narrowed his eyes when he looked at her. "You're very perceptive." He said, his tone colder than before.

"Perhaps, but I can't figure out what your connection to him is." She sighed.

"You don't need to know what it is." He replied simply.

She sighed again and laid back on the ground. "Alright. It's your secret, I won't pry any further." She said, closing her eyes.

Kratos doubted that she was going to sleep now, she still seemed too alert for that. But at least this conversation was over now, and he had a chance to think. He had been reminiscing far too often for his liking lately. Anna was foremost in his thoughts whenever he was reminded of the past. But he remembered now, overhearing the conversation between Eva and Lara, how they both seemed to know who he was. Perhaps that was her reason for asking in the first place, to see if he would admit it.

"You already know." He said quietly. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her sit back up. Her eyes were wide.

"You overheard me and Lara back then." It wasn't a question. He nodded slowly and she sighed. "I'm sorry. I just... wanted to see if you would talk about it."

"And risk someone else waking up to hear us talk about it?" Kratos looked at her. "I think not."

She laughed softly. "Yes, I should have known better." She said, smiling at him.

Both of them were silent after that, and after a while, the sun started to rise over the horizon. Kratos looked over at it before he smothered the fire with clumps of dirt. Eva helped him with that a little, but like him, chose not to wake the others yet. It wasn't until the sun had risen a bit more that they each started to wake the others.

* * *

Sheena was watching them from up on the ridge above the geyser. She had gotten here a couple of days ago to wait for them, and now they were here. The Chosen had just stumbled and found the Oracle Stone that opened the door to the temple. She sighed and shook her head as she grabbed her seals and waited. After they disappeared inside the temple, she jumped down to ground level and quietly followed them inside. Sounds echoed really loudly here, so she had to move at a slower pace and step lightly to avoid being discovered.

"Hey, what's all this water doing in here?" She heard one of them ask. It sounded like the red-clad swordsman.

"It's the Seal of Water, Lloyd. What did you expect?" Another voice replied. She glanced around the corner to see the white-haired boy shrugging.

From here she could see everything about this area of the temple. There wasn't much space down below and there was indeed water everywhere. Considering how dark it was in here, it was impossible to tell how deep the water was.

"The water must be deep if we can't see the bottom." Eva said. Sheena remembered her from last time, when they were both caught in that tunnel.

"How are we supposed to get past this water? There doesn't seem to be any other way to go." The white-haired boy said, looking around.

Even Sheena couldn't find another exit for them, and she had the higher vantage point. Not that she would help them find another way through.

"Woah! Eva! What are you doing?!" Lloyd, the red-clad boy shouted in surprise.

Sheena watched as the green-haired girl put down her staff and started walking forward into the water. At first the water level was low, and very slowly rose above her ankle as she walked. And then she took a step down, like there were stairs there, and the water level rose as she walked down. "There are steps here. Most of the temple must be underwater by now." Eva announced. "Lloyd, give me the sorcerer's ring, please."

Lloyd walked over to her and pulled the ring off his finger. "Here. But what are you going to do?" He asked.

Eva smiled. "I'm going to look for the way through here." She replied before she walked further down the steps, the water level was up to her chest by now. The girl took a deep breath before diving into the water. Her silhouette disappeared in a matter of seconds.

"Is it okay to let her do that?" The white-haired boy asked, frowning.

"We don't have much choice." The older white-haired woman replied with a sigh. "Let's try and find a way through on this side." She said.

They all went about trying to find a secret way or something. There was still no sign of the green-haired girl and Sheena was getting impatient. Now was likely her best chance to take them out. Grabbing for her seals, Sheena ran out from her hiding place.

"I've found you!" She shouted.

"Ah! It's the assassin!" The white-haired boy cried out, pointing at her. Seriously, what was with these kids and pointing?

"Chosen, stay back." The tall man with deep red hair drew his blade.

"Kratos." Lloyd drew his swords as well and Sheena grunted.

"I won't hold back!" She called out, tossing the seal forward. She quickly performed a series of hand signs. "Pyre Seal!" The paper seal multiplied in the area around them before exploding.

The one called Kratos ran through the smoke, unfazed by her attack. Sheena did a flip to dodge his blade as he slashed at her. She couldn't afford to lose. The Chosen had to die, for the sake of her people, and for her world. She ducked below another swipe and swung her leg, but he jumped over her instead. Sheena rolled out of the way as he tried to slash down at her.

"Tiger Blade!" She hadn't seen the boy running over, but Sheena held up a seal to guard just in time.

The attack landed harmlessly against the barrier and she lunged forward, landing several punches and kicks against the brunet teen before placing a seal on his chest. It was easy to do the hand signs again. "Pyre Seal!" She called. The paper seal exploded and sent the boy flying back against the wall.

"Stalagmite!" The white-haired boy called out.

Sheena jumped to the side to avoid the spell. But the auburn-haired man, Kratos was back, and slashing his sword at her. Remembering her last battle with him, she flipped away from his attacks, trying to be careful.

"Photon!" Sheena cringed when the spell managed to hit her, but while it hurt, it wasn't as bad as a sword wound.

"Sonic Thrust!" Sheena dodged to the side, eyes wide as the blade nearly tore open her stomach. As it was, it cut through the ribbon tied around her waist. She jumped back away from the auburn-haired man.

She threw another paper seal into the air and performed a new set of hand signs. "Power Seal!" She shouted.

"What the-? I feel weaker all of a sudden." Lloyd said.

Sheena smirked and renewed her assault, still trying to be careful of the purple-clad swordsman. He was the most skilled among them, and had nearly killed her in that first encounter. But she wasn't a pushover.

"Serpent Seal!" She managed to get in the next attack before a sword bit into her shoulder.

Sheena cried out and jumped away, holding the new wound to stanch the flow of blood. She couldn't let herself die here either. Gritting her teeth, Sheena turned and ran back toward the entrance. There were no sounds of pursuit, but that didn't matter, she just kept running, cursing herself for not being strong enough.

* * *

The water had been really cold at first, it had made her shiver when she walked into it. But there appeared to be no other path, and she knew from the game that there had to be a path here. If they couldn't see it, that was because it was underwater. She had left her staff behind because she would need her hands to help propel herself when she was in the water. Diving in had been the worst part, getting her head wet and submerging herself in the icy cold water; that had not been pleasant.

Eva wasn't sure how far she had gotten when her lungs started to burn from the lack of oxygen. She needed to surface now, but it was so dark, it was impossible to tell if she was anywhere near a place where she _could_ surface. She put her hand out in front of her and activated the Sorcerer's Ring. The magical energy succeeded in lighting the area, and it looked like there was a surface area.

She swam up as fast as she could manage without tiring herself. Just as her lungs were about to give out and force her to take in water, her head broke the surface. Eva took long gasps of the air on the other side and tried to steady her rapidly beating heart. It wasn't easy, because if she'd been any farther away from the surface, she would be dead, or at the very least drowning now, and dead soon after.

She continued to tread water for a bit until she felt sufficiently rested. Raising her hand above the water, she sent off another spark of energy from the ring to light up the area. There was a platform straight ahead of her, so she swam toward it. That took her a couple of minutes, and climbing up onto the platform proved to be difficult in a soaked dress. She finally managed, but she was really tired from the effort. She spent a few more minutes trying to recuperate from her efforts.

When she was recovered enough, Eva got back to her feet and used the Sorcerer's ring again to light the area. There was a pedestal in front of her so she walked over to it. Using the ring's power, she activated the pedestal. At first, nothing happened, but then the water level started to drop, as though it was being drained. Eva turned around to watch and smiled to herself as the stairs started to appear. Good, now she knew the correct way off the platform. She was still soaking wet, but there was little time to dwell on that.

After walking back down the stairs and looking around, she found something resembling a torch and lit it with the ring. The torch roared to life, bathing the entire area in a warm light. She decided to keep the torch with her in case she found more. How the thing wasn't soaked to the point of being unable to light was beyond her. It was probably due to some kind of magic, so it was better not to ask.

Finally, she made it back to the area where the others were, and all of them blinked at the torch before they really noticed her holding onto it.

"Eva!" Colette ran over and hugged her tightly, almost causing her to drop the torch.

"It's okay, Colette. I'm fine. There's no need to squeeze the life out of me." Eva replied with a laugh.

The blonde pulled back and giggled. "Sorry."

"What did you find?" Kratos asked her seriously.

"There was another side to the temple. I used the ring on a pedestal over there and the water level went down. I'm not sure how far, but we should be able to explore a bit now." Eva replied easily.

"Wow, that's great. Was it hard to reach the other side?" Genis asked her.

"Not really, but then, I can hold my breath underwater for almost two minutes. Any longer and I have to come up for air or risk drowning." She said. She knew very well that it had almost happened, but she wasn't about to tell them about it. There was enough to worry about, and from the looks of them, something had happened while she was gone.

"Did something happen?" She asked.

"We were attacked by that assassin again." Raine answered her with a cold stare. Okay, so Raine was really suspicious of her now. It was almost as bad as how suspicious the woman was of Kratos.

"And this is my fault?" Eva asked, giving Raine a curious glance.

"I didn't say that, but it is suspicious." The older woman replied. "She's been showing up wherever we go. The two of you were caught in that mining shaft, and she seems to avoid fighting when you're around."

"I was fighting with you when we got out of that mine shaft, if you remember correctly." Eva replied. "And even though we ran into her in Palmacosta, it seemed more like she was unprepared to fight us, plus there were civilians around." She added. "It's just a coincidence that she showed up when I went to find the way. One of us had to dive into the water." She pointed out, which made Raine shiver.

"I'm watching you." Raine countered, before walking away.

Eva shook her head with a sigh as she followed. She understood that Raine had her reasons for being suspicious, but this was getting crazy. "Hey, Lloyd. Here's the Sorcerer's Ring back." She took the ring off her finger and handed it to the brunet.

"Thanks." Lloyd put it back on with a smile. "Don't worry about the Professor. I'm sure she'll trust you given enough time."

"Perhaps. But I'd better not get on her bad side before then." Eva replied, following with the torch.

"Oh hey, here's your staff." Lloyd said, handing the weapon back to her.

Eva blinked a couple of times before she took it, feeling relieved when she felt the smooth cold metal against her palm. "I can hold that for you, if you want." Lloyd suggested. It took her a moment to realize he meant the torch, so she handed it to him.

They were eventually forced to stop exploring again by the water blocking the way down. Eva took the Sorcerer's Ring back from Lloyd and dove right in to look for the way. This ended up happening several more times, and each time, Eva took on the responsibility of looking for the path.

* * *

Eventually they discovered they didn't need to go lower into the temple. Colette was happy that they had finally found the warp to the seal, but she was concerned about Eva at the same time. Ever since the girl's last dive into the water, she had been soaked to the bone and shivering. She looked back again and frowned, hoping she was alright.

"Um, Professor Sage?" She spoke up, trying to catch her teacher's attention.

"What is is, Colette?" Raine asked in a gentle tone.

"I think Eva isn't feeling well." Colette replied.

She heard her teacher sigh, but the Professor turned and walked back along the path to the green-haired girl. She knelt by her for a few minutes, examining her before she finally stood up again and shook her head. Raine walked back over. "She's sporting a high fever despite being cold. It wouldn't be well advised to let her fight the seal guardian." She said.

"Oh no!" Colette clasped her hands over her mouth, looking with concern at their friend.

"Well, what are we gonna do? We can't just wait for her to get better." Genis said, frowning.

"Mister Kratos?" Colette asked, looking at him. She noticed he seemed to appear worried about Eva.

He glanced over at her and without a word he walked over to the girl and started to speak with her in hushed tones. Colette could barely make out what they were saying, even with her angelic hearing. Several minutes later, Kratos walked back over and sighed.

"We can't bring her with us to fight the seal guardian, nor should we leave her out here alone." He said.

"Then why don't you stay and keep an eye on her?" Raine asked, glaring up at him.

Kratos returned her gaze. "Because, you will need my skill with a sword to fight the guardian." He replied easily.

Colette watched the two of them, worried. It was easy to see they didn't get along well. She looked over at Lloyd who returned her look and nodded. "I'll stay behind to keep an eye on her." He announced.

"Really, Lloyd? I would've thought you'd want to be in the seal room fighting with us." Raine said, surprised as she tore her gaze away from Kratos.

Lloyd rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, y-yeah... I really want to fight with you. But, if you need someone to watch after Eva, it should be me." He answered. "Besides, taking Genis in to fight makes more sense against the guardian."

Raine frowned, seeming lost in thought for a while. Eventually she sighed. "Very well. We're leaving it to you." She said.

"Oh, um, can you leave a blanket for Eva?" Colette asked.

Kratos nodded and produced a blanket that Eva accepted gratefully with a small smile. Colette smiled and waved at her and Lloyd as they started to move toward the warp. "We won't be long." She said before she felt the pull on her body.

They reappeared in a large underground room, much like the seal of fire. An altar sat in the middle of the room. However, the major differences here were that they were standing on a platform surrounded by water. And it was really very cold down here.

"Chosen." Kratos said quietly.

Colette looked over at him and nodded briefly before she stepped further into the room. An intense, searing pain spread through her body as the crystal began to glow. The altar did the same and soon revealed a large form. It looked like a mermaid, only it had sharks for hands.

"F-fascinating! It's an Adulocia! They haven't been seen in ages." Raine exclaimed.

"Now isn't the time, Miss Sage." Kratos said with a stern tone, already drawing his sword.

Raine blinked. "R-right." The Professor stepped in front of her. "Colette, stay behind me."

"Genis, use lightning-based spells, it'll be weak to them. I will try to draw its attention." Kratos said before running forward. He dodged below a swipe with the left shark head and slashed at the guardian's side. A shrill cry pierced the air from the cut, but it was a shallow cut and wasn't bleeding much.

"Thunder Blade!" Genis called out. A large purple blade crashed down into the monster as Kratos moved away from it. It cried out in pain again as electricity coursed through it.

Kratos ran forward again, drawing it's attacks and attention away from them. "Demon Fang!" He sent a wave of energy at the creature and it tried to retaliate against him. Kratos dodged again and began a series of slashes that resulted in the monster staggering. He immediately began casting. "Thunder Blade!" He released the magic several seconds later, just in time, as the Adulocia was about to attack him; it was paralyzed momentarily by the spell.

"Healing Circle!" Raine focused the spell on Kratos, since he was the only one fighting so close to the monster.

Colette then noticed the water rising at the far end of the room. "Professor?"

Raine seemed to notice it then as well, her eyes went wide. Genis also noticed and, and glanced over at them. He hurried over. "Force Field!" He called, making sure to cover all three of them with the barrier.

Kratos saw the wave as it started advancing and activated a barrier of his own to wait out the attack. Raine screamed and fell to her hands and knees as the wave drew closer. She went into a frenzied panic a moment later as the wave swept over the barrier, leaving them alone.

As soon as the water levels around the platform returned to normal, Genis resumed his casting. "Lightning!" He called out.

Kratos rushed into attack again as well. "Demon Fang! Light Spear! Hurricane Thrust! Lightning Blade!" He called out each attack in succession, dodging attacks from the Adulocia between each one.

Colette glanced back at the warp, concern growing for the friends they had left outside. Everything was probably just fine, but she hoped that they weren't in any trouble. She would hate it if they had to fight alone while Eva was ill.

* * *

"Tiger Blade!" Lloyd beat the seahorse back into the water on the side of the path and panted. Where had all these monsters come from so suddenly? He turned to look at Eva, who was standing with the blanket over her shoulders, clutching her staff tightly with both hands. "You okay?" He asked her.

Eva nodded slowly. "Yes, I'm fine, Lloyd. But you should keep your guard up." She said.

He turned back around to see two mermaid like creatures. They looked almost human from the waist up, but they were clearly monsters. Each one was holding a harp and watching them curiously. Lloyd shifted into his fighting stance as one of them began strumming the strings on it's harp.

"Lloyd! Don't listen! Cover your ears!" Eva warned him.

He did as she instructed just as the monster opened it's mouth. He could faintly hear it singing and had this weird feeling in his chest. That feeling didn't last long as Eva entered his field of vision. She swung her staff and hit the one that was singing, forcing it to stop.

Without waiting for a sign to uncover his ears, Lloyd did so and hurried forward to help her fight. "Sword Rain!" He called before repeated thrusting his swords at the monster rapidly. It died quickly from the attack, and then the other one started singing.

Lloyd's mind went completely blank. All thoughts vanished, replaced with a single need, to do what the voice wanted. Nothing else mattered. He swung his arm around and tried to attack the enemy. She was weak, but he still had to kill her.

"..oyd!" A voice tried to reach him. "Plea... op!" It was urgent, he could tell, but that didn't matter. The voice was too far away to reach him. "Com... sn... out... it!" No, there was no need to listen to this voice. He had to kill!

Pain erupted in the side of his head. Lloyd stumbled to his knees, dropping his swords as he tried to get past the blinding pain. There was heavy breathing nearby, and coughing. He took a deep breath and looked up to see Eva sitting on the ground a few feet away from him. Her staff was on the ground between them. What struck him the most was the look of pure terror in her eyes. Eyes, that were looking at him.

Why was she...? Wait. Was that...? It was! There was blood seeping through her fingers. Her hands were over her stomach and she was bleeding. How had that happened? He then noticed his swords on the ground in front of them, one of them had blood along the edge. "No." He whispered, unable to believe it. Was it... had he really hurt her...?

"Eva... I'm... I'm sorry. Are you okay?" He asked.

She coughed and shook her head. "I... I don't... know." She replied, coughing between words. "I can't..." She coughed harder and blood pooled out around her hands and between her fingers. It was obvious she couldn't stanch the flow enough.

Lloyd grabbed his swords and ran for the warp into the altar room. "I'll get the Professor!" He yelled back at her. He really hoped there was enough time. _Please, don't let it be too late!_

* * *

**Aaaaaand, that's that. Sadly, the last 1000+ words or so aren't the same as the ones I originally wrote. The site logged me out before I could save the original text. Still, I think it came out better the second time than it did the first.**

**Also, I finally leave you guys with a serious/thrilling cliffhanger. I intend to continue on this train of events in the next chapter because there wasn't enough time to work on everything else I wanted to squeeze in here. There's still the Human Ranch, Governor-General Dorr, Hakonesia Peak, the return from Thoda Island, Sheena's flight back to Izoold, and more to write... but I've already gone over 10,000 words here. Sure I could keep going, but I don't want to leave you with a chapter that's 20,000 words or so and then go back to 10,000 or so per chapter. So, everything else I wanted to write will be updated in chapter 12 instead.**

**And now, on to my apology. I'm so sorry for not updating sooner, but there was a lot of family crap to deal with. Plus I hit a solid wall of writer's block. I didn't want to take 5 months away from this story, but that's what ended up happening. My muses and plot-bunnies failed me when I wanted to update and write... and it's only now as I'm trying to get over a recent bout of Depression that inspiration suddenly hit me.**

**I hope you will forgive me. So please, read, review and enjoy. ^ ^**


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